Adventures with Autobots
by Kitsune Triforce
Summary: After the battle of Mission City, the Autobots remain on Earth to protect humans. Bumblebee stays with Sam and the others go on to form NEST with the military. Collection of short stories that take place at varying times in the ROTF movieverse.
1. He's Gone

**A/N:** _I have fifty writing prompts and I decided to make a collection of short Transformers Movieverse fics inspired by said prompts! Now, they won't be in numerical order all of the time (case in point, I'm beginning with Prompt #14), but that doesn't matter. I'll let you know at the beginning of each "chapter" when it takes place. Each fic will take place in one of the following categories:_

_In between the first and second movies_

_During one of the movies (side story)_

_After Revenge of the Fallen_

_This story stems from something mentioned in Transformers: The Veiled Threat, about how Beachbreak and Bumblebee were good friends because they're around the same age (and this book PROVES that Bee is one of, if not the, youngest Autobots on Earth) and have similar personalities. And I was wondering, since they were such good friends, Ironhide and Optimus probably would have informed Bee right away about Beachbreak's death. And poor Bee probably would have reacted badly to hearing that one of his closest Autobot friends had been killed. So, this is the result of my imaginings._

_Enjoy the sadness, comfort, and resulting brotherly fluff._

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Transformers, or any of the song/movie quotes used in this story. However, the idea for this story does, indeed, belong to me.**

**NOTE: DO NOT READ THIS FIC UNLESS YOU HAVE ****READ THE VEILED THREAT, OR DO NOT MIND SPOILERS FROM SAID BOOK!!! MAJOR SPOILERS ABOUND!**

**Writing Prompt #14/50**

**Title: He's Gone**

**Rating: T (Just to be safe)**

**Words: 1,444**

**Takes Place: After the Events of Chapter Seven of The Veiled Threat**

**Teaser: **_Bumblebee gets some sad news about one of his best Autobot friends, and Sam is there to help him through it._

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

EVEN THOUGH HE HAD ONLY BEEN INVOLVED IN A FEW scant battles alongside the NEST group, Bumblebee had to admit that the quiet life around the Witwicky household was preferable to chasing down rogue Decepticons and beating the slag out of them, even if he sometimes missed the said slag beating. He still had to keep his optics peeled for Decepticons who might want to take a shot at the human he was protecting (his and Sam's recent encounter with Barricade proved this), but other than that, there wasn't really much action to be had.

Not that Bumblebee was complaining. He was glad to have the chance to, as Sam called it, kick back and relax. And when Sam wasn't around, Bumblebee did most of his "kicking back" in the garage, which had more or less been converted into his room.

It was in the middle of said kicking-back one day when Bumblebee received a transmission from the rest of the Autobots that were working with NEST, requesting that he contact either Ironhide or Optimus as soon as he possibly could. And, seeing as how he wasn't doing anything at the moment (Sam was inside working on something, probably chores), he went ahead and sent a long-distance uplink request to both Optimus and Ironhide.

It was Ironhide who answered first. _Good, you got our message. I was beginning to wonder if it would reach you so soon, since we're so far away._

_It got through, no problems,_ Bumblebee responded. _Why? Where are you?_

_Zambia, Africa._

_Decepticons are all the way over there?_ Bumblebee mused. _Huh. What's up?_

Ironhide didn't say anything. After a few moments had passed, Bumblebee began to wonder if their transmission had been broken off for some reason.

_Ironhide? Are you still there?_

_Yes._ The answer came back.

Bumblebee was beginning to feel that something was wrong. _What_ _was it you wanted to tell me?_

Another pause. Then, _It's Beachbreak._

_What about him?_ Bumblebee asked. _Has he been complaining about not being as tall as everyone else again?_ Even though he said this, Bumblebee was only teasing. Beachbreak was one of his best friends; the two of them were almost the same age and had fought many battles together. _What's he up to, then?_

Once again Ironhide paused for a while before continuing. _Bumblebee, he's…gone._

_Gone?_ Bumblebee repeated. A feeling of great unease began to fill him. Even though he had a feeling that he knew exactly what Ironhide meant, he couldn't help asking, _What do you mean, "gone"?_

_We were crossing a river,_ Ironhide continued. _I was carrying him across on my shoulders. Starscream came and knocked him off. We were right next to a waterfall, and the current was too swift…there was nothing any of us could do._

Bumblebee was silent. Beachbreak was…dead? It didn't seem possible. They had been through so much together-Autobot training, fighting Decepticons, tracking down the All Spark…and now, Beachbreak was gone. They were never share another adventure. He would never see his friend again.

_Bumblebee?_ Ironhide questioned. _Are you all right?_

The question wasn't necessary. Bumblebee wasn't all right, and Ironhide knew it.

_I'm fine._ That was an outright lie, and Ironhide wasn't the only older Autobot who identified it as such.

_Bumblebee._ This time it was Optimus Prime transmitting to the youngest Autobot. _I know that this news has hurt you terribly. Beachbreak died a hero-he saved my life. If it wasn't for his quick thinking I wouldn't be talking to you right now._

Bumblebee stayed quiet. Even though he felt he should say something, that he knew Beachbreak had died after doing something worthwhile and that he was glad of what Beachbreak had done, he just couldn't bring himself to do so. The shock of the death of his friend was too strong.

_Please, sir, I think…I think I need to be left alone for a little while. I'm sorry._

_I understand,_ Optimus replied. _Take as much time as you need. We won't bother you, but if you want to talk, just send a transmission. I'll be here._

_And so will I,_ Ironhide sent back.

The two older Autobots broke off communication, and Bumblebee was left alone in the garage with his thoughts…and his sadness.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Finally finished with his chores, Sam exited the house and made his way over to the garage, or as he now called it, "Bee's Room". It had taken a lot of convincing on his part to get his parents to agree to let Bumblebee stay in the garage. He had finally accomplished it (after telling his dad that if Bee couldn't use the garage as his room he'd just have to stay on the lawn, which had immediately made his dad realize that the garage was indeed a _very_ good place for Bumblebee to stay) and had fixed up the building to suit Bee's needs. It was now a lot roomier than before, to give Bee space to transform into Robot Mode if he wanted to, and Sam had even placed a TV on one of the shelves so that his friend wouldn't get bored when he was in there for long periods of time. It was a pretty cool room for an alien robot that could change into a car at will, and Bumblebee had been really happy when it was finally finished. Bumblebee liked to spend time in the garage watching TV, and was overall very cheerful about his place in the family.

Opening the door to the garage, Sam stepped in and greeted his friend. "Hey, Bee. So, I'm done with my chores for today, do you want to come with me and Mikaela to the-"Sam broke off his question when he saw Bumblebee.

The yellow Autobot was sitting in Robot mode, shoulders hunched, head down, and unusually quiet. Even though Bumblebee's voice capacitor was still badly damaged and he didn't speak much as a result, he always greeted Sam with a movie quote or a clip from a song when the boy entered the garage. His silence combined with his posture and the fact that he looked at Sam before quickly looking down at the floor of the garage was more than enough to convince the teenager that something had badly upset his friend.

"Bee?" Sam approached the Autobot uncertainly. "What's the matter, big guy?"

Bumblebee turned his head away, but otherwise gave no response to Sam's question.

"Hey," Sam had reached Bumblebee's side. "Come on, Bee, what's wrong? You can tell me-maybe I can help."

_Not unless you can bring Beachbreak back from the dead_, Bumblebee thought, then immediately felt terrible about thinking such a thing about his human friend. He paused for a moment, and then responded to Sam by cobbling various soundbytes together to form a sentence.

"_A good friend-he gave his life to protect-the captain-of this family._"

Sam understood almost at once. "One of the Autobots…died…saving Optimus?"

Bumblebee nodded, and made a low, choking warble, which sounded exactly like a human crying.

"Bee…" Sam moved closer to his friend and placed his hand on the Autobot's cheek. Bumblebee looked at him, still electronically crying. "I'm so sorry…who was it?"

"_You don't know him_," Bumblebee quoted an Indiana Jones movie this time, then attempted to say his friend's name so Sam would understand. "Name is-B…B…Beach…br…break."

"Beachbreak…" Sam repeated. "So…you two were good friends, then?"

Bumblebee nodded again.

"I'm sorry, Bee…" Sam looked up at him. "I can't say I know what you're going through, 'cause I don't. But, Bee, I know how _I'd_ feel if _you_ were gone, and that lets me know just how sad you are right now. So…I understand."

"_I miss him."_ Bumblebee once again replied with his radio, as his voice capacitor was aching from saying Beachbreak's name and he was still "crying" too much to attempt to speak in his own voice once more. "_And I'll never see him again_."

Sam looked up at the yellow Autobot. "It's okay, Bee. I know you miss your friend, and I'm sorry for what happened, but I'm here for you. You ever feel the need to…um, talk about it, I'll always listen."

Bumblebee looked at Sam; he was still upset over Beachbreak's death but Sam's words had, surprisingly, made him feel slightly better. He still had his human friend, but that could change; hopefully it wouldn't. He used his radio to convey this to Sam. "_Just don't you go anywhere."_

Sam smiled, and hugged the Autobot. "I'm not going anywhere, Bee. You're my brother, as far as anyone can be. And brothers stick together, not matter what."

He pulled back and looked Bumblebee in the eye.

"I promise."


	2. Waiting

**A/N:** _I know that the story is called __**Adventures with Autobots**__, but I really like Ravage, so he gets a little snippet to himself._

_I was inspired to write this after purchasing the Robot Heroes Ravage figure, which is cute and adorkable and most definitely NOT a Decepticon._

_This is meant to be humorous, and stems from it being mentioned in __**The Veiled Threat**__ that the little red crabs are EVERYWHERE on Diego Garcia. And about Ravage liking water, he was happily swimming around in __**Revenge of the Fallen**__ until Scalpel ordered him over to Megatron's body, so I think he's rather fond of water._

_Also, I have no idea what the Decepticon spy that looks like a crab's name actually is. Everything I've ever read labels it as "Crab-bot", so that's what I'm calling it here._

_Anyways, enjoy!_

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Transformers, or any of the song/movie quotes used in this story. However, the idea for this story does, indeed, belong to me.**

**NOTE: DO NOT READ THIS FIC UNLESS YOU HAVE ****READ THE VEILED THREAT, OR DO NOT MIND SPOILERS FROM SAID BOOK!!! SPOILERS ABOUND!**

**Writing Prompt #12/50**

**Title: Waiting**

**Rating: T (Just to be safe)**

**Words: 800**

**Characters: Ravage, Crab-bot, Megatron (mentioned only), Soundwave (mentioned only)**

**Pairings: None**

**Takes Place: During Chapter Thirteen of The Veiled Threat**

**Teaser: **_In today's exciting episode, Ravage is waiting for Crab-bot to return from infiltrating the NEST base. He's bored out of his processor, and the local oceanic life forms aren't helping his mood at all._

* * *

WAITING AGAIN. IF THERE WAS ONE THING RAVAGE HATED about his job, it was the slagging _waiting_ he inevitably found himself doing. He still had no idea why Soundwave always had him serve as transportation to the smaller Decepticons who got the tough jobs.

But what he hated the most about this particular mission was that he had to wait in WATER.

Now, Ravage himself didn't mind water as a whole; in fact, he liked it quite a bit. The problem here was that he had to crouch in water, a fair distance from the shore, and not move. The reason for the lack of movement was the fact that the shores of Diego Garcia contained a rather large security net, and unauthorized movement over said net caused alarms to go off all over the place. That was why Ravage now found himself waiting here, half-submerged in the water, biding his time until today's little Decepticon spy, Crab-bot, returned from infiltrating the NEST base, hopefully with news of Megatron.

Not fun. Ravage was bored.

A slight skittering sensation passed over his left paw. It was insignificant enough that Ravage ignored it; there were thousands of little organic life forms scurrying about under the waves, so it was nothing to worry about. He continued to stay still in the water, waiting for contact with the returning spy.

A few minutes later, he felt the sensation again, this time on his right paw. Ravage resisted the urge to twitch his paw to rid himself of whatever it was that was walking over it. Then he felt it again, on his left paw once more. From there, it moved to his right, then left, then right again. And this time, he felt a slight weight settle on his right paw. Whatever had been crawling on him had stopped for a rest.

Ravage barely suppressed a growl. Stupid organic life form, why did it have to pick HIM as a resting spot at a time when he could not move to get rid of the annoying pest? While he was thinking over the unfairness of it all, he felt yet another skittering movement on his paw, joining the resting one, then another, and another.

_I AM NOT SOME ORGANIC REST STOP!_ Ravage mentally fumed. Or…wait. What if one of them wasn't an organic? Come to think of it, the movement registered in his sensor logs as a match to that of the little organic creatures known among the Diego Garcia inhabitants simply as red crabs-the same red crabs that Crab-bot had taken on the appearance of for his alt form. Maybe Crab-bot was simply playing a trick on him.

_Crab-bot, you little slagger, if one of those things on my paws is YOU you're going to get your aft kicked!_

When he received no answer to his transmition, Ravage preformed a quick scan of the creatures, each result coming up positive. Yep, definitely organic, every last one of them.

During his scanning, more and more of the annoying crabs gathered on his paws, legs, and tail, before moving up out of the water to rest on his back and head.

And through it all, Ravage could not move to rid himself of this humiliation, because doing so would jeopardize the mission.

_**SLAG!**_

* * *

Early the next morning, before the sun had properly risen, Crab-bot skittered nimbly down the shore of Diego Garcia, heading towards the water. The slight delay from him getting stuck in the sink was unfortunate, and he hoped Ravage hadn't lost his temper waiting for him. Entering the water, he made his way towards the rendezvous point where Ravage was waiting for him.

The sight that met him caused Crab-bot to simultaneously stop in shock and fight off laughter.

A seriously ticked-off Ravage crouched in the water, covered with the little red crabs Crab-bot was imitating.

_Ravage?_ Crab-bot asked via comlink, unable to suppress a snigger. _What happened to you? You make some new friends while I was gone?_

Ravage growled out a reply. _I'm blaming YOU for this. You made me wait for far too long, and when you've made your report, you are SO going to get slagged!_

_Pssh, whatever,_ Crab-bot replied, sending out an energy pulse that both temporarily deactivated the nearby security net and scared the red crabs off his larger companion. _Anyway, I've got some news. It may not be useful, but let's have Soundwave determine that, ok?_

_Fine,_ Ravage grumbled, still in a bad mood but relieved to be free of those little organic pests. He picked Crab-bot up, initiated his transform sequence, and blasted away into the sky.

_If I ever have to come back to this miserable little island,_ Ravage thought as Diego Garcia shrank below him, _it will be far too soon._


	3. Lucky

**A/N:** _This story jumps around quite a bit._ _This one is a bit of a companion short to these chapters: _**He's Gone**_, _**Teacher**_, _**It's Broken**_, and _**Take Me**_. You don't have to have read the previous ones, except possibly _**He's Gone**_, to understand this one, though (especially seeing as how some of them aren't written yet). It's inspired by a little bit of dialogue from _**Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky**_. Anyways, for some reason, I could totally hear Grovyle's dialogue coming from Optimus Prime to Sam._

_Before you read this fic, there are some things you need to know._

**1.**_ The nightmare that Optimus mentions will be explained in detail in _**Nightmares**; _yes, I realize some of you might want to know what it is now, but that's not the focus of this chapter. Sam's nightmare is VERY important, however, and will be explained in full soon. This takes place after _**Revenge of the Fallen**_, when everyone is heading home on the ship. And, after the events in Egypt, Bumblebee is reluctant to let Sam out of his sight, which is why Sam is mentioned as "sneaking off" from Bumblebee (he was using Bumblebee's backseat as a bed). And, earlier in the day, Optimus taught Sam how to read a tiny bit of Cybertronian, which is also mentioned here. (This will be detailed in a later chapter)_

**2. **_Regarding Sam's injuries…something was obviously wrong with his right foot/leg; he was DRAGGING it when he climbed up to bring Optimus back and later he's sort of hopping and avoiding putting weight on it. So something's wrong there. Here, I identify it as a broken ankle._

**3. **_I personally think Bee's younger than Sam; I see him as being the Cybertronian equivalent of a 16-17 year-old. I always peg him as being the youngest Autobot. Skids and Mudflap can go jump off a cliff. Preferably one that has sharp rocks at the bottom._

**4.**_ In my fics, Jolt is an apprentice medic being taught by Ratchet. I got this idea from how he, under Ratchet's instruction, helps transplant Jetfire's parts to Optimus in Egypt. So, that's where it comes from. He's not a PROPER medic yet, though; he's still a student, but he is qualified to treat injured Autobots on his own. _

**5.**_ Bumblebee is still haunted by what happened at Tyger Pax. Something that terrible? Watching your friends die, having your arm torn off, and then having your throat basically ripped apart? There's no way Bumblebee could NOT still be traumatized by it._

**6.**_** AND THIS IS NOT A SLASH FIC.**__ I DO NOT WRITE THAT KIND OF THING. When I say that Bumblebee loves Sam and Sam loves Bumblebee, I'm talking BROTHERLY love. NOTHING MORE. NOTHING LESS. END OF STORY, GOODBYE, THE END._

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Transformers, or any of the song/movie quotes used in this story. However, the idea for this story does, indeed, belong to me.**

**NOTE: DO NOT READ THIS FIC UNLESS YOU HAVE SEEN REVENGE OF THE FALLEN****!!! ALSO, DO NOT READ UNLESS YOU HAVE READ THE MOVIE PREQUEL COMICS. MAJOR SPOILERS ABOUND FROM BOTH!**

**Writing Prompt #41/50**

**Title: Lucky**

**Rating: T (Just to be safe)**

**Words: 1815**

**Characters: **Sam, Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Ironhide (Flashback), Jolt (mentioned only), Megatron (mentioned only), Ratchet (mentioned only)

**Pairings:** None

**Takes Place: After Revenge of the Fallen**

**Teaser: **_In today's exciting episode, Optimus and Sam have a late-night chat while on the ship back home from Egypt, and the Prime lets Sam know how lucky Bumblebee is to have him as a friend…no. To have him as a brother._

* * *

_A friend is someone who knows the song of your soul, and can sing it back to you when you've forgotten the words._

_~Anonymous_

LATE NIGHT ON THE OPEN OCEAN. IT WAS ACTUALLY QUITE peaceful, and after everything that had happened that day, it was something that seemed much more enjoyable than it would have under normal circumstances.

Optimus Prime stood on the deck of the aircraft carrier, looking at the night sky as he reflected on the day's events. The others had reported to him everything that had happened while he was in stasis lock, and it was a lot to think over. Suddenly, the sound of footsteps reached his audio receptors. He recognized the sound of the limping gait combined with the metallic thud of crutches hitting the ground, and a small smile appeared on the Autobot Leader's face.

Apparently he wasn't the only one too preoccupied to rest tonight.

He waited a few moments until the person the footsteps belonged to was closer to him, and then spoke.

"You know, if Bumblebee wakes up and finds you gone, he will, as you humans call it, 'freak out'."

Sam flinched. "Oh! Uh, yeah. Please don't tell him I'm out here, okay? And don't tell Ratchet or Jolt either," Sam added as an afterthought. "Ratchet probably won't like it that I'm up and about instead of resting. Jolt might be cool about it but he'd probably tell Ratchet, just to make sure it was okay, and if Ratchet knew, then-"

Optimus cut him off with a smile. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone you snuck off." He immediately turned serious. "Why are you awake? Was it another nightmare?"

Unbidden, memories of the nightmare he had earlier that night filled Sam's mind. Shuddering, he shook his head, trying to get the images out of his thoughts. "No. I just…couldn't sleep. I just feel really restless, and I don't know _why_. And I can't stop _thinking_."

"Is it because of what I taught you earlier?" Optimus's voice was concerned. "Because if it's keeping you up at night, I don't think you should learn how to read any more Cybertronian symbols."

"It's not that, it's…oh, I don't know. Lots of things. Things that happened before I left home; at college, and what happened in Egypt. _Everything_ that happened was my fault, all because I was too stupid to listen-"

"Sam, you more than made up for that today, and you know it."

Sam was quiet for a minute. "I still feel guilty about it though. I guess that's normal, but I feel like I _haven't_ done enough to make it up to you guys. "

The leader of the Autobots looked down at the young human who had done so much for his people. "Don't worry about it, Sam."

"I know." With a sigh, Sam looked up at the night sky, rubbing his arm absently. After a moment's silence, he spoke again. "I have no idea what's going to happen now."

"Are you planning on returning to college?"

"I'd _like_ to. Problem is, I don't think I _can_. There's the whole thing with me being absent for several days. Not to mention all the damage that was caused to campus, and the whole 'World-wanted' thing. I don't think I'll be able to go back."

"But you want to, am I right?" Optimus asked.

"Well, yeah."

Optimus smiled. "Good. You will find that those in charge at the school have mysteriously forgotten the events that took place there, and all the damage has been repaired. You will also discover that there will be no problem with you having a car on campus, even though you are a freshman."

Sam stared. "Wha…huh?"

"Those at NEST managed to, as you humans say, "pull some strings" and got everything straightened out," Optimus explained. "Everything's been taken care of. Your being on the wanted list will also no longer be an issue."

"Thanks." The word seemed completely inadequate for what Optimus and the rest of NEST had done to smooth things over for Sam. He stood in silence for moment, then, one of the things Optimus had just told him suddenly clicked in his mind. "Wait, Bee can come with me to college now? That's great! He'll be so happy when I tell him he can come now; he was very upset when he couldn't come before."

"That doesn't surprise me," Optimus replied thoughtfully. "Bumblebee always has been…well, clingy, as you humans call it. It's not his fault; he's always disliked being alone. It's most likely due to the fact that he is so young; well, young for our race, at least."

"Is he really that young? I mean, I know he's the youngest of all you guys, but I didn't think he was _that_ much younger," Sam asked.

"Bumblebee is the Autobot equivalent of a sixteen-year-old human. If things had been different, if there had not been a war, he would still be attending the Youth Sectors-what you would call a school. The war forced him to grow up faster than any of us would have liked."

There was an awkward silence following Optimus's remark. Well, the silence was awkward for Sam, at least. He absently tapped the fingers of his right hand against his crutches, thinking over what he had just been told. He'd always known that Bumblebee was the youngest, had been able to tell it just by the way Bee acted and the way the others acted around him, but he'd never realized just how young his friend actually was. Knowing that Bumblebee would be two full years younger than him if he was a human was a bit of a shock, and it made Sam both admire what Bumblebee could do (there was no way he'd have been able to fight in war when he was sixteen) and feel sorry for him, because, in a way, Bumblebee's childhood had been stolen from him.

"He's…been through a lot, hasn't he?" Sam asked, somewhat hesitantly.

"Yes," Optimus replied. "More so than any Autobot his age should have gone through." The Prime's voice was heavy with regret. "He managed to keep a positive outlook throughout most of it, but after he lost his voice at the hands of Megatron, he became depressed. It was the first time any part of the war affected him so badly and we were worried about him. I almost refused to let him come to Earth ahead of the rest of the team because I thought his depression would put him in danger. However, I am glad that I eventually agreed to let him come."

Optimus turned and looked at Sam. "Bumblebee is still haunted by what happened to him at Tyger Pax, but now, he is able to push it to the back of his processer, because of one reason. You see, something has changed since Bumblebee came here, to Earth, Sam."

Sam met the Prime's gaze curiously. "Something's changed? What?"

"He has you."

That was the last thing Sam had expected to hear. "Me?"

"Yes, you," Optimus smiled. "Bumblebee's become quite close to you, Sam. The two of you got along since you first met, and even though you've only known each other for two years you've been through a lot together. When he's with you, he doesn't have to worry about fighting, or acting older than he really is. Bumblebee is able to be himself around you, Sam-you remind him of what good exists in the universe, and that is why he can ignore what happened to him on Cybertron when he's with you. Am I correct in saying that Bumblebee is your best friend?"

"He's not just my best friend," Sam replied, with an intensity that surprised even him. "He's my brother."

Optimus looked at the boy, an unreadable expression on his face. Sam looked evenly back at him. Then Optimus's look softened, and he smiled.

"If that is the case, Sam," The Prime said, the smile still on his face, "Then Bumblebee is very lucky to have you as _his_ brother."

Suddenly, Optimus paused, head tilted slightly to one side. He abruptly chuckled.

"Well, it looks like your secret is out, Sam. Bumblebee is out of recharge and is currently 'freaking out' because you were not then when he awoke."

Sam groaned and sagged on his crutches. "I KNEW he would wake up. Did you tell him where I am?"

"Of course. He's on his way here now. And Sam..." Optimus chuckled again. "You had better be prepared to explain why you left."

Sam groaned again.

A few minutes later, a familiar yellow Autobot rushed into view. Spotting Sam next to Optimus, Bumblebee hurried over, clicking worriedly.

Sam sighed, then looked up at his friend. "Hey, Bee."

"_I was really worried about you!"_ Came a clip from Bumblebee's radio. Sam groaned, and gave Bumblebee's arm a light smack that was more affectionate than annoyed.

"Come on, Bee! Pokémon? _Seriously_?" He looked up at Bumblebee. "Sorry for making you worried, Bee. I should've told you, but you were in recharge and I didn't want to wake you up."

Bumblebee chirped softly in reply, then looked up at Optimus curiously.

"Sam is fine, Bumblebee. We talked about a few things. I am sure that he will want to get some rest now," Still hiding a smile, Optimus turned to walk to the area that had been set aside for him to recharge in. "I will see you two in the morning. Good night." With that, he was gone.

Sam allowed Bumblebee to pick him up (it was better than walking with those stupid crutches) and the two of them made their way back over to where Bumblebee had been recharging before.

As Bumblebee walked, Sam turned over what Optimus had told him in his head. Then, he looked up at the Autobot. "Hey, Bee?"

Bumblebee looked down at him and made a questioning sound.

"Optimus told me that everything's been smoothed over. So, once we get back home, I'm going to go back to college…"

Bumblebee made a sad sound, the doors on his back drooping slightly.

"…And you're coming with me this time," Sam finished with a smile.

"_Really?"_ Bumblebee said excitedly through is radio.

"Yep." Sam replied, still smiling.

Bumblebee chirped happily, sitting Sam down and transforming back into his Camaro form. The driver's side door opened, and Sam climbed in. He made his way onto the back seat with slight difficulty, stretching out on the makeshift bed.

"Crazy week, huh?" Sam murmured.

Bumblebee clicked in agreement.

"I think I'll pass on going through any of it again." Sam closed his eyes, feeling the sleep that had been eluding him finally returning. "'Night, Bee. Love ya."

"Love ya, too, S-sam," Bumblebee replied, in a mixture of radio and his own voice.

Optimus was only partially right, Sam thought as both he and Bumblebee fell into their own versions of sleep.

The two of them were both lucky. Lucky to have each other as brothers.


	4. Just a Scratch

**A/N:** _Yet another humorous chapter. Short, sweet, and to the point. I'm delving a bit more into what I call the "Shift Continuity" (the continuity my movie-based fics are part of) here._

_Once again, take note of these important things._

**1.**_ Ratchet and Wheeljack made five of the Dinobots-Grimlock, Slag, Snarl, Sludge, and Swoop, after watching Jurassic Park and getting inspired by it._

**2. **_ Jolt made Goreyu from the parts left over after the other Dinobots were created. As a result, he is much smaller and "younger" than the other Dinobots._

**3.**_ In my fics, Jolt is an apprentice medic being taught by Ratchet. I got this idea from how he, under Ratchet's instruction, helps transplant Jetfire's parts to Optimus in Egypt. So, that's where it comes from. He's not a PROPER medic yet, though; he's still a student, but he is qualified to treat injured Autobots on his own. _

**4.**_ Grimlock is a big baby._

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Transformers, or any of the song/movie quotes used in this story. However, the idea for this story does, indeed, belong to me.**

**NOTE: SEEING THE MOVIES/READING THE NOVELS HELPS. A LOT.**

**Writing Prompt #27/50**

**Title: Just a Scratch**

**Rating: K+**

**Words: 478**

**Characters: Ratchet, Jolt, Grimlock, Goreyu**

**Pairings: None**

**Takes Place: Approx. One Year after Revenge of the Fallen**

**Teaser: **_In today's exciting episode, Ratchet tries to do his job, Grimlock throws a temper tantrum, Jolt excels in his medic training, and Goreyu gets embarrassed./i _

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"NO! ME GRIMLOCK NOT NEED SEE DOC-BOT!"

For what seemed to be the hundredth time that day, Ratchet found himself dealing with a stubborn patient. It was just one of the many "perks" of being the chief medical officer among the Autobots.

This time around, said stubborn patient just happened to be a rather large, whining robotic dinosaur.

"It just scratch," Grimlock complained again. "Me Grimlock fine; Dinobots never need healing!"

"A scratch? Oh, if I had an energon chip for every time I've heard that," Ratchet grumbled. "The last time I checked, Grimlock, a piece of shrapnel from a Decepticon cannon blast wedged into your foot is about as far away from a scratch as a stubbed toe is to a broken bone in humans." He grabbed Grimlock's right foot once more. "And STAY STILL."

"Me fine; Dinobots not need healing," Grimlock said again, a defiant pout to his voice.

"Never? Then how come I'm patching up at least _ONE _of you every single day?"

"Dinobots practice fighting," Grimlock snorted. "Other Dinobots wimps, not like me Grimlock-_OWW!_"

Grimlock jerked his foot away again, and Ratchet smacked him across his head plating. "I said hold still! Quit behaving like a sparkling."

"Me Grimlock _NOT_ behaving like sparkling!"

"You're right," Ratchet admitted, glancing over to the berth that contained the second medbay patient, "The sparkling is handling it far better than you."

"Jolt say he give me Goreyu energon treat if me behave!" The small Dinobot said cheerfully. "Fix up Goreyu's tail where Slag stepped on it!"

Grimlock snorted again. "Tail not same as foot. Foot hurts more. _OUCH!_ Doc-bot not supposed to be cutting me Grimlock's foot off!"

Goreyu covered his optics with his claws, shaking his head, evidently embarrassed by the fuss his leader was making. Jolt hid a smile as he continued to weld the new armor plates onto the small Dinobot's tail.

"Doc-bot trying to kill me Grimlock!"

Ratchet was not amused. "I am not. You can stop whining now, Grimlock; the shrapnel is out of your foot."

"It hurts-what? Oh," Grimlock muttered, looking as sheepish as a giant, robot Tyrannosaurus could possibly get.

"Honestly, the things I put up with," Ratchet grumbled, throwing the offending piece of metal that had caused the entire fiasco into the refuse bin. "You can go now, Grimlock-but it had better be a long time before I see you in this medbay again. And you," he added to Jolt, "Can stop grinning about this behind my back, right now!"

It was Jolt's turn to look sheepish, though he couldn't help another grin as Grimlock limped exaggeratedly out of the room, complaining loudly, "Me Grimlock's foot going to fall off any time now."

Finding the humor in the situation, however, only served to push Ratchet's annoyance to its limit. Jolt's only warning was a cheerful shout from Goreyu.

"Flying wrenches!"


	5. Cold

**A/N:** _Over the past two years, I have had more experience with computer viruses than should be allowed. Poor Lappy was so sick with one in January of last year he had to be wiped, and my mom's laptop has gotten sick with one at least three times in the past YEAR. And, one night, it came to me._

_To a Transformer, the computer viruses we have here are extremely primitive. So…what effect would an Earth computer virus have on a Transformer? I scribbled down the general idea, mainly consisting of a dialogue between Sam, Ratchet, and Bumblebee, but it wasn't going to be anything serious until now, when I looked through my prompts for this story and found that prompt number eighteen would serve the purpose well._

_Oh, and The Big Bang Theory is one of my favorite TV shows. And it strikes me as something both Sam and Bee would like._

_So, here it is!_

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Transformers, or any of the song/movie quotes used in this story. However, the idea for this story does, indeed, belong to me.**

**The quotes Bumblebee uses are from:**

_Lilo and Stitch_

_Family Guy_

_Shrek 2_

_The Lion King_

_Casper_

_Titan A.E._

_Star Trek Voyager_

_Aladdin_

_The Big Bang Theory_

**HERE'S YOUR TRADITIONAL, FRIENDLY NEIGHBOORHOOD REMINDER THIS IS NOT A SLASH FIC.**

**Writing Prompt #18/50**

**Title: Cold**

**Rating: T (just to be safe)**

**Words: 998**

**Characters: **Sam, Bumblebee, Ratchet, Jolt, Ironhide (mentioned only)

**Pairings: **None

**Takes Place: Approx. One Month after Revenge of the Fallen**

**Spoiler Warnings: **Reading the novels/comics/seeing the movies helps.

**Other Warnings: **Sam gets panicky. AGAIN. Also, Ratchet yells.

**Teaser: **_In today's exciting episode, Bumblebee learns why he should be more careful when downloading from "teh interwebz"._

* * *

SAM HAD LONG AGO ACCEPTED THE FACT that he would never stop being surprised about what happened around his Autobot friends, especially when said friends were mixed with things that humans had created. Case in point?

He'd never known that Autobots could get sick. Hurt, yes. Sick? No. He'd never even thought about something like that happening. They were giant robots-how could a ROBOT get sick?

Sam was about to find out.

* * *

"Morning, Bee!" Sam greeted his friend cheerfully. "What do you say to exploring around the island a bit?"

Bumblebee remained in his Camaro form, making a noise that sounded like "Nu-uh."

"Why not? You were just saying yesterday how you never got to look around the place last time you were here, and I haven't either."

"_But Mommy, I don't feel good!" _A small child's voiced whined from Bumblebee's radio.

"You don't feel good?" Sam questioned, feeling confused. This was a first. Bumblebee had never complained about something like this before. "What'd you mean? Are you sick?"

Bumblebee's response to that question was a mechanical whine followed by a sudden "**bzz-snk**" that sounded almost like a...

"Whoa, Bee…did you just _sneeze_?" Sam asked incredulously.

"_Uh…yes?"_

"Geez, that is NOT good. Can't be, never heard you make that sound before. Didn't even know you COULD. Come on, you should probably see Ratchet."

"_No, no, no, no NOOO!"_ **bzz-snk**. _"I need some sleep-I'm sure it'll be fine by morning-no, no, anything but that!"_** bzz-snk**.

"No choice, buddy," Sam said firmly. "If you don't come with me, I'll get Ironhide to come and DRAG you there." Sam knew that threat would get Bumblebee to cooperate; Ironhide had told him of the many times he'd had to do just that to get a younger and smaller Bumblebee to his routine check-ups with Ratchet and Sam had no doubt Ironhide would hesitate to do so now, especially if he knew his adopted son was sick and refusing to go.

"_Okay, okay,"_ Casper's voice grumbled from out of Bee's radio. He did not feel like facing down his guardian right now.

He initiated his transform sequence, and Sam noticed it took longer than usual. When he was finished, he looked down at Sam. _"Let's do this-get the cheese to sickbay."_

Although Sam smiled at Bumblebee's chosen quote, he couldn't help feeling worried as he followed Bee to the medbay. Bee's normally bright blue optics were dim, and there was a definite droop to his door-wings and antennae.

'_Whatever's wrong,'_ Sam thought, _'I hope Ratchet can fix it.'_

* * *

"All right, let's see what the damage is." Ratchet rested one hand on Bumblebee's head, monitoring his processor temperature while using the sensors in his other hand to scan Bumblebee's systems to find the reason the youngest Autobot wasn't feeling well. It didn't take the medic very long to find the problem.

"You need to check things from the internet more carefully before you download them, Bumblebee. You've managed to get a computer virus into your system."

Sam looked from Ratchet to Bumblebee, panicking. "What-a virus? Is he gonna be okay?" He turned to Bumblebee. "Bee, I'm sorry! This is my fault! I knew downloading the entire first season of The Big Bang Theory was wrong, I shouldn't have asked you to do it, even though it's one of the funniest shows ever and it's my fault you got sick so-"

"Sam!" Ratchet growled while Bee made a desperate motion signaling to Sam that it was all right. "Calm down. Bumblebee will be fine. No computer virus here is capable of severely damaging our systems. Humans won't be able to make a computer virus even remotely complex and advanced enough for that for at least two more centuries." He returned his attention to his patient. "The viruses humans make now are nothing more than minor annoyances to us if they manage to get into our systems, like certain types of human illness."

"So…" Sam had recovered from his panic and now looked mildly confused. "You're saying that Bee has a cold?"

"More or less." Ratchet turned to Jolt, who had been watching the goings-on in the medbay with a mixture of amusement and worry for his younger friend. "Jolt, I need you to start work on a patch for Bumblebee."

Jolt nodded and headed over to one side of the medbay to begin his work.

"I'm going to give you a patch that will help your systems purge the virus quicker," Ratchet told Bumblebee. "Meanwhile, you should take it easy, and NO MORE DOWLOADING. You'll be fine by tomorrow."

Bumblebee nodded gratefully, and then turned his attention to Sam, who still obviously felt guilty about the whole thing.

"Sorry, Bee," Sam muttered. "I didn't know you guys could get viruses."

"I-it's al-alright," Bumblebee managed to say without his radio, perking up when he saw Sam look relieved at his reply, but he quickly flinched when Ratchet rounded on him.

"NO USING YOUR VOCAL CAPACITOR! How many times do I have to tell you? It may be getting better but you have to REST it or it won't heal properly!"

"_Sorry, sorry, it won't happen again,"_ Bumblebee hurriedly apologized with his radio.

"You're slagging right it won't," Ratchet grumbled, though he didn't look anywhere as near as mad as he sounded. "I don't need to repair your vocals as well as your processing systems today." He went over to help Jolt work on the patch.

Sam looked up at Bumblebee, and lowered his voice so that Ratchet could (hopefully) not hear him, whispering, "Well, since you have to rest…what do you say to a Big Bang Theory marathon?"

Bumblebee nodded cheerfully before adding in his opinion. _"Bazinga!"_

* * *

After that incident, Bumblebee was extra-careful about whatever he downloaded from the internet, scanning ever bit of data thoroughly.

And as for Sam?

Well, he learned that yes, robots could get sick.

And that Antivirus software might be something Bee would appreciate as a Christmas present.


	6. What If

**A/N:** _No, your eyes do not deceive you. This is an actual Adventures with Autobots update!_

_Taking a break from my DOTM fics to delve back into the Shiftverse, that is, my fic continuity that picks up after ROTF and in which the events of DOTM do not happen. Of course, as this fic takes place after ROTF but before the Shift storyline starts proper, it applies to the DOTM fics as well. _

_So remember, if the story in this collection takes place six months or more after ROTF, then it is ONLY in the Shiftverse, and not in the DOTMverse. Any time less than that, it applies to both. _

_This idea popped into my head while I was eating lunch after work. I remember Harry wondering the some things in the last Harry Potter book, and I think Bumblebee would wonder the same things-what if things had been different? What if there hadn't been a war? In the Shiftverse, Bumblebee wasn't even "born" when the war started, so he basically grew up knowing nothing but fighting and death-not an ideal childhood. Of course he would wonder about the what-ifs, I think._

_Enjoy._

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Transformers, or any of the song/movie quotes used in this story. However, the idea for this story does, indeed, belong to me.**

**HERE'S YOUR TRADITIONAL, FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD REMINDER THIS IS NOT A SLASH FIC.**

**NOTE: DO NOT READ THIS FIC UNLESS YOU HAVE SEEN REVENGE OF THE FALLEN****! ALSO, DO NOT READ UNLESS YOU HAVE READ THE MOVIE PREQUEL COMICS. MAJOR SPOILERS ABOUND FROM BOTH!**

**Bonus Chapter**

**Title: What If**

**Rating: K+**

**Words: **1,392

**Characters: **Sam, Bumblebee

**Pairings: **none

**Takes Place: **Two months after Revenge of the Fallen

**Spoiler Warnings: **Reading the novels/comics/seeing the movies helps.

**Other Warnings: **What-if imaginings from both Bumblebee and Sam

**Teaser: **_He'd grown up knowing nothing but fighting and death, and there were times when Bumblebee wonders what his life would have been like if there hadn't been a war at all._

* * *

THE WAR HAD STARTED LONG BEFORE HE FIRST CAME online. He'd grown up knowing nothing but fighting and death; he was the only survivor of the last generation of Sparklings on Cybertron. At an age where he should have been playing simple, fun games, like CyberCat and GlitchMice, with others his age, he was learning the correct way to fire a plasma gun. When he should have been attending classes on research methods at the Youth Sectors, he was being taught battle strategies.

It should have seemed wrong. It should have seemed unfair. But it usually didn't; he'd grown up knowing nothing else, and for him, what would have been considered a less than ideal younglinghood for all of the other Autobots who were older than he was, seemed perfectly normal. However, Bumblebee had to admit that there were times he wished he didn't need to worry about the war, times when he wanted to just act his age and not be the soldier he had to be on the battlefield. He knew that he had been forced to grow up extremely fast, and while it really didn't bother him most of the time, every now and then, he would resent it.

And those times brought the "what-ifs", as the humans called them, into being.

If there hadn't been a war…

When he was a Hatchling, he wouldn't have been forced out of his incubation chamber early. He would not be undersized for his age and protoform body type.

His creators would still be alive. They would have raised him, and he would have grown up a normal youngling, and there would be other younglings his age for him to play with. He'd have friends his own age. He might even have siblings.

He would have attended the Youth Sectors. He would have learned more than just how to handle weapons and how to fight battles. He probably wouldn't have learned those things at all. He might still have become a scout, but not a scout for battles. For research, for exploration. He would have liked that.

He would have seen Cybertron as it was-not battle-scarred, not dying, but a beautiful, living planet.

He would never have lost his voice.

The what-ifs are sometimes nice to think about. But it does not last, as soon after he thinks about them, he realizes what he wouldn't have if things had been different.

He would possibly never have met Ironhide, or Optimus, or any of the others. And if he had, he would not have the close friendships and family relationships he shared with them. It would all be based on rank and nothing more.

While it was true that the All-Spark would still be on Cybertron and he never would have lost his voice, if the All-Spark had never been jettisoned off-planet, he never would have come to Earth. There wouldn't have been any reason to. And if he never had been to Earth…

He would have never met Sam.

When he thought about it, Bumblebee realized that Sam was what he could have been if the war hadn't happened-a normal kid, with friends his own age and a family that he was related to by blood. And, at the same time, Sam was what he wouldn't have if there had been no war-a friend, a brother, someone he could act his age around. He might have had those things if there hadn't been a war, but in his Spark Bumblebee knew that it wouldn't be the same, and every time his thoughts circled in this pattern, he would always end up flinching away from wishing that his life had been different.

But, inevitably, his thoughts would always go back and dwell on the what-ifs. Was he alone in thinking about it? His life wasn't bad. So why did he keep thinking like this?

He had no answers. And that was the problem.

Bumblebee needed to talk to someone else.

* * *

"You're awfully quiet today, Bee. You feeling okay?"

They were at what they had taken to calling "the new lookout", a hill and a tree outside of town that was quiet and where no one else seemed to ever go. Whenever they went for a drive, they always ended up here. It was one of the few places where Bumblebee could be in his robot mode without worrying about being seen, and it was one of the only places they could just sit and talk, without worrying about things like roommates and the bustle of college life interrupting them.

At the moment, though, Bumblebee was still in his Camaro form, and he shifted slightly back and forwards on his tires a bit before he answered Sam's question.

"I'm thinking."

"About what?"

Bumblebee hesitated for a moment, and Sam took this as a sign that the young Autobot didn't really want to talk about it. He lightly brushed his thumb over the Autobot insignia in the center of the steering wheel.

"It's all right, Bee. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," Sam reassured his friend. "I don't mind."

"No, i-it's okay," Bumblebee made a slight coughing sound as his voice capacitor began to act up again. "It's j-just that…"

"Yeah?"

"Sam, do you…" Bumblebee hesitated again, and then continued. "Do you e-ever w-wonder a-about the 'what-ifs'?"

Sam's eyes widened as he realized what his friend was asking. "Bee, is that why you've been so quiet today? You've been thinking about…about what it would be like if…"

"N-no w-war," Bumblebee supplied quietly. "O-on C-cybertron. Ever."

"So, you're thinking about, how, if there had never been a war, how you'd never have come here?"

Bumblebee clicked quietly in confirmation.

Sam was quiet for a moment, then spoke up. "Bee, sometimes I wonder what it would be like if I'd never meet you guys. I would have gone through high school like a normal kid and gotten into a regular college. I wouldn't be constantly worrying about being blasted by killer robots from outer space."

Learning that Sam also wonders about the what-ifs, that he isn't the only one who does so, caused Bumblebee to sink a little on his tires in relief. He wasn't alone. He listened intently to every word Sam told him.

"Yeah, sometimes I think my life would be better. But you know what I always end up realizing, Bee?"

Bumblebee chirped questioningly.

"My life is crazy, messed-up, and not normal because of you guys. And I wouldn't have it any other way."

Bumblebee thought what Sam had told him over for a moment, lining it up with his own set of what-ifs. The what-ifs faded into the background as he focused on what he did have.

He didn't have living creators, but Ironhide was just as much of a father to him as his actual one.

He had friends, so what did it matter if they were all older than he was? Friends were friends.

All of the Autobots were his family, even though he wasn't actually related to any of them. That didn't matter.

He had a brother. Taking the time to figure out the Cybertronian age equivalents in regards to human age, he technically had an older brother. Sam knew that, knew that Bumblebee was the Cybertronian equivalent of a sixteen-year-old human and therefore nearly two full years younger than he was, but didn't treat him like he was younger. He always talked to Bumblebee on even terms, never treated him like he was a little kid, and, after a countless amount of time being the youngest and being treated as such, Bumblebee was thrilled to find someone who didn't.

Would he give up all of those things he did have for what he could have had? Bumblebee knew the answer now.

No, he wouldn't.

"T-thank y-you, Sam," Bumblebee said. "I w-wouldn't e-either."

Sam smiled, and leaned back in the driver's seat. "We'll just have messed-up lives together, Bee. All of us."

Bumblebee chirped in both amusement and agreement. The what-ifs were still there, in his processor, but he didn't have to be bothered by them any longer. Talking to Sam had been what he needed to finally get a clear view on things, and Bumblebee now knew the truth. Like Sam, his life wasn't perfect.

But he wouldn't have it any other way.


	7. It's Broken

**A/N:** _Now that I have a new method of writing my stories to prevent writer's block, I was finally able to finish this chapter. I'd intended to post this before _**"What If",**_ but yeah, things happen._

_This is a follow-up to the first chapter, "_**He's Gone"**_. Someone mentioned this in a review, and while I was planning to do this piece from the start, that little suggestion helped a lot. That said, you'll have to read that chapter in order to understand some of what's said in this chapter. So go up to that nice shiny chapter selection area and chose "_**He's Gone**_", if you haven't already read it, then come back to read this, okay?_

_I was mad that Bumblebee didn't get a reunion with Sam after his friend was brought back to life; the two of them are like brothers, you'd think the movie would've shown SOMETHING, but nooooo- all we got was a short shot of Bee being knocked down by The Fallen's teleportation shock wave. So here, we'll get to see Bee's reunion with Sam!_

_Bumblebee's dialogue at the beginning comes from the novelization, you know, 'cause he actually speaks in his own voice in it. And I thought what he said was sweet. He didn't want to leave Sam behind to face Megatron alone. It just shows how close those two are, darn it!_

_Also, please keep in mind that Bumblebee is younger than Sam; he is the Cybertronian equivalent of a sixteen-year-old human. As detailed in "_**Lucky**_", the war forced Bumblebee to grow up extremely fast. Needless to say he has both insecurities and mental as well as physical scars from what has happened to him/what he's done in the war._

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Transformers, or any of the song/movie quotes used in this story. However, the idea for this story does, indeed, belong to me.**

**HERE'S YOUR TRADITIONAL, FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD REMINDER THIS IS NOT A SLASH FIC.**

**NOTE: DO NOT READ THIS FIC UNLESS YOU HAVE SEEN REVENGE OF THE FALLEN****! MAJOR SPOILERS ABOUND!**

**Writing Prompt #40/50**

**Title: It's Broken**

**Rating: T (Just to be safe)**

**Words: 4,084**

**Characters: **Sam, Mikaela, Ron, Judy, Lennox, Bumblebee, Optimus, Megatron, Ironhide, Ratchet (mentioned), The Fallen (mentioned), Starscream (mentioned), Beachbreak (mentioned)

**Pairings: **Sam/Mikaela, Ron/Judy (I guess since they're married)

**Takes Place: **During Revenge of the Fallen; at the Battle of Giza

**Spoiler Warnings: **Reading the novels/comics/seeing the movies helps.

**Other Warnings: **Lots of Angst, Fluff, and Brotherly Love.

**Teaser:**_ Bumblebee reflects on a promise that Sam made to him a while back, and how, thanks to Megatron, that promise has been broken._

* * *

"BUMBLEBEE! YOU GET THEM SOMEWHERE SAFE, ALRIGHT?"

The yellow and black Autobot stared at his friend in shock as Sam argued with his father, trying to convince him to leave his son behind and go with Bumblebee. Bumblebee wasn't hearing a single word, too preoccupied with what Sam had asked him to do.

_You want me to take them to safety, but leave you? Sam, I'm not leaving you behind to face Megatron's army alone!_

Bumblebee made an anxious whining sound, catching the arguing humans' attention. Shaking his head, the Autobot made his opinion in the matter known with his hoarse, raspy, still-not-fully-healed voice. "St-stay with yooouuu."

Ron jumped on the Autobot's assessment of the situation at once. "He's right, Sam; this isn't a discussion!"

"Bee-" Sam started to say, but was interrupted by another loud explosion, this time much closer. This situation was bad, very bad. He looked back towards his friend; Bumblebee had readied his arm cannon and was looking around in trepidation. The Decepticons could be anywhere; they didn't have _time_ to stand around _arguing_!

"Bee," Sam said again, more firmly. He took a step towards the Autobot. "Bee, you have to get them out of here! I'm not going to run the risk of them getting hurt because of me! The Decepticons are after _me_, Bee, and I don't want my parents anywhere near me because of that! Don't you understand? _You_ have to protect _them_; I'll be fine."

_I'm not so sure of that_, Bumblebee thought as he started to power down his cannon, but still made no move to transform into his alternate mode. _I don't want you getting hurt either!_

Seeing that Bumblebee was obviously still not planning to go anywhere, Sam looked up at him, and continued on in an undertone, so that only the Autobot could hear him. "Protect our family, Bee. I'm counting on you. _Please_."

Bumblebee's resolve to stay dissolved at this. Sam had often referred to Bumblebee being as good as his brother, but he had never mentioned his family being Bumblebee's as well. He finally realized the magnitude of what Sam was asking him to do, and knew that continuing to refuse to do so would be the same as rejecting them as his family. Sadly, reluctantly, he nodded and initiated the transformation sequence, folding down into black-striped yellow Camaro.

As the Autobot transformed, Sam once again argued with his Dad, though his father's resolve seemed to be dissolving, just as Bumblebee's had.

"You have to let me go, Dad, you have to let me go."

To Bumblebee's surprise, Judy stepped forward then, placed a hand on Ron's shoulder and said, "Ron, let him go."

There was silence for a moment, and then Ron replied in a strangled voice. "You come back!"

Sensing the argument was over and that Sam had won it, Bumblebee opened his doors and honked his horn urgently. They had to go now, before the Decepticons came over this way. As Sam's parents got in, he noticed that Mikaela hadn't joined them. He honked his horn again. _Isn't she coming with us? Surely you want me to get her to safety as well…_

"Go with my parents," Sam insisted, gesturing towards the waiting Bumblebee.

"I'm not going to go without you," Mikaela replied stubbornly.

Sam turned to Bumblebee. "Go, Bee, go! Get them away from here!"

Bumblebee slammed his doors shut and took off, tires screeching. The scene of battle rapidly grew smaller behind him, taking the danger with it, but the young Autobot couldn't help but feel that he was making a terrible mistake.

* * *

_Brothers stick together. That's what Sam told me. So why am I just sitting here, while he's there, risking his life to save Optimus? I know he wants me to protect his parents, but…what kind of brother am I if I leave him to face Megatron by himself?_

Bumblebee knew the answer to that. _Not a good one._

He had found a rocky outcropping that was both a safe distance from the battle and sheltered from the possibility of Decepticon flybys overhead. It wasn't large enough for him to transform back into robot mode while under it, but there was more than enough room for him and Sam's parents. Ron and Judy were situated a little ways away from him, watching the village on the horizon with worry. Bumblebee was doing the same, though he was finding it harder and harder to stay put. He could see from here that things were very bad, and he couldn't stand the thought of Sam and Mikaela running through the village unprotected, with Decepticons possibly around every corner…

_Brothers stick together, not matter what._

His thoughts drifted back to that long-ago conversation in the garage. He had been devastated at the news that his friend Beachbreak had been killed, and Sam had been there for him, listening and trying his best to comfort him. Sam's words had been soothing, but the knowledge that one of his Cybertronian friends had been killed had given birth to a new fear-Sam was a human, and therefore far more fragile than any Autobot. If battles easily claimed Autobot lives, a human life would be claimed that much easier, and a glimmer of fear that he could lose Sam in the same way had taken root in his Spark. Sam had promised that nothing would happen; he wasn't going to go anywhere, and that he would stick with Bumblebee no matter what. And while that had reassured Bumblebee, the fear that he would lose Sam the same way he had lost so many other Autobot friends had never truly left. It had just been buried and put out of mind.

But now…

This battle, seeing Sam almost being smashed by a Decepticon, and then fleeing with his friend's parents while he left Sam behind to fend for himself, had brought that fear back full-force. He knew that Sam had wanted his parents to be safe. And, even though he hadn't said so, he also wanted _Bumblebee_ to be safe. And while he accepted and appreciated that, Bumblebee didn't like this waiting around without knowing what was happening one bit.

_Slag it, this isn't what I should be doing! Sam is out there and he needs me!_

Reaching a decision, Bumblebee drove forward, opened his doors, and honked his horn at Sam's parents. He'd still do what Sam wanted him to, he'd still protect Ron and Judy, but not like this.

_Sorry, Sam, but like you once told me, brothers stick together._

Once Ron and Judy had climbed back in, he shut his doors and floored it back in the direction he had come from.

_And I'm not going to let you face Megatron alone._

* * *

Bumblebee drove towards the distant town faster than he had ever gone in vehicle mode before. It was reckless and most definitely not safe, and he was aware of Ron and Judy holding on to the seats they were sitting in. Under any other circumstance, he never would have dared to travel at this speed in his vehicle mode, especially when he had human passengers.

But Sam was in danger, and all he could think of at the moment was that he needed to get to Sam's location, and quickly. Ron and Judy were wearing seatbelts, so they would be fine. He couldn't slow down now.

The young Autobot scout was so focused on getting back to the abandoned, battle-ravaged town that he failed to notice the human-piloted aircraft that were closing in on the battle's location until his comm suddenly came to life, causing him to swerve in surprise.

_Bumblebee, what the frag are you doing?_

_Ironhide!_ He managed to straighten out his course, increasing his speed-which had been slowed by his surprise-back up to what it had been before. _I'm coming back to find Sam! Can you see him? Is he okay?_

_Sam is fine. He's with Lennox and the other human soldiers, and Mikaela is with him. But you need to stop and not come any closer, kid-there's an airstrike on the way and if you get caught in it you could be badly hurt, at the very least._

_But-_

_No, Bumblebee! Stay there-here it comes!_

Before the young Autobot could send a reply, his attention was shifted skyward as he heard the familiar sound of the human-piloted F-16s as they shot towards the battlefield. And he could also see, not too far behind them, the B-1s that were also on their way. A gleam of panic trickled its way into his spark, joining the fear and anxiety he was already feeling. This airstrike was going to be dangerous-he could see that just by the types of aircraft the humans had chosen; he knew what weapons they carried and what they could do- and Sam was right in the middle of it. Making the decision to disobey Ironhide's order for him to stay put-accepting readily that his Guardian would give him a world-class scolding for doing so once everything was over and done with-he resumed his course for the town, but the ordinance that was now dropping from the F-16s onto the Decepticons stopped him-any closer and he would get hit himself.

_No!_

Venting his frustration with a static-laced cry, he slammed on his brakes, trying to find a way through the danger to get into the town-but the fearful screams the airstrike and his sudden braking elicited from Sam's parents shocked him back into the present, back to the task Sam had entrusted him with.

_Protect our family, Bee. I'm counting on you. Please._

Guilt now joined the emotions swirling in his Spark. He knew couldn't-_wouldn't_-leave Sam to face Megatron alone, but at the same time, he knew that he couldn't risk the safety of Sam's parents like he was currently doing. Sam had trusted him to keep them safe and right now he wasn't doing a very good job of it. As much as he wanted to drive headlong into the airstrike to find Sam, he knew that he couldn't if he wanted to keep his unspoken promise to Sam to keep Ron and Judy safe. His desire to protect Sam was clashing with his promise to protect Sam's parents. His Spark was in turmoil, and, as he hesitated on a dune close enough to the ruined town to feel the concussions from the ordinance explosions but far enough away to not be in any danger from them, he felt like crying out in frustration again, yet he knew that wouldn't help matters at all.

Bumblebee didn't realize that he was trembling from the worry, stress, and frustration, until he felt a hand lightly touch the center of his steering wheel. It was a gesture Sam often used to calm him down when he was upset about something, and confusion filled him. Sam wasn't here; who was trying to calm him down? The young scout turned his attention inward and saw, with a jolt of surprise, that Judy was the one offering comfort to him.

"We're worried too, Bumblebee," Sam's mother told him softly.

Before Bumblebee could sort what little speech he could actually make into some form of a reply to thank her for trying to comfort him, the second part of the airstrike-the B-1s-began their attack, and the young Autobot realized that, while time had seemed to stretch out for hours since the F-16s had halted his progress, it had only been less than a couple of minutes. The ordinance from the B-1s was different than what the F-16s had dropped-more brutal, dangerous. He pressed his frame closer to the ground as he felt the shockwaves from the bombs sweep past him. Bumblebee's tires twitched impatiently as he waited for the airstrike to end so that he could go and find Sam. He hated this waiting. It made him feel sick, realizing that he had no way of knowing where Sam was in all this.

Hopefully his human brother would still be uninjured when the young Autobot found him.

Finally, blessedly, after what seemed like hours but was only a few seconds , the airstrike ceased, and although the town was still choked with billowing dust clouds the B-1s were no longer dropping ordinance. Bumblebee shot forward, finally able to resume his previous course.

_Primus, let Sam be safe. Please, let my brother be safe!_ Bumblebee silently pleaded as he rapidly approached the battleground. Those words had barely finished forming in his processor when he caught sight of a familiar, terrifying figure suddenly looming out of the cloud of dust in the distance.

Megatron.

The sight of the Decepticon leader caused him to slow down briefly as he felt the familiar fear that-ever since Tyger Pax-he felt whenever he saw Megatron take root in his Spark. But he knew he couldn't stop now and he increased his speed again. Sam needed him, and he forced his fear back down. Bumblebee knew it would only slow him down.

And he knew, in his Spark, that there was only one reason that Megatron would enter the battlefield himself with Optimus Prime dead and after-judging by the power of the airstrike-loosing most, if not all, of his troops. The reason was a single word that made Bumblebee's Spark clench in pain and fear.

Revenge.

And as he saw Megatron fire his plasma cannon and saw the debris cloud the discharge kicked up, he knew, without even being able to see the Decepticon leader's target, who it was he had fired at.

_Oh, Primus, no! Sam!_

Without thinking, Bumblebee screeched to a halt, opening his doors and expelling Sam's parents suddenly-but as gently as he could-onto the sand outside. They would be far safer here than they would be in the village with Megatron around. That done, he shifted into robot mode as quick as he could. Panic welling inside his Spark, Bumblebee began to run the rest of the way towards the bombed-out village. He barely even noticed that Ron and Judy were running after him, or that Megatron had been driven away by the fire from the NEST soldiers' weapons. He only had one thought in his processor. _Find Sam._ Nothing else mattered.

Nothing.

Arriving in the village at last, Bumblebee was forced to slow down in order to dodge around the obstacles the airstrike had created by collapsing what few houses had even still been standing. Ron and Judy managed to get ahead of him because of this; they had realized there could only be one reason for his panic-that Sam was in danger-and as they raced ahead, they screamed their son's name. Bumblebee tried to join them in calling for Sam, but all that came from his damaged voice capacitor were distorted, unintelligible electronic warbles.

Suddenly, Sam's parents were tackled to the ground by some nearby NEST soldiers. They continued to scream and cry, and when Bumblebee, approaching their location, noticed Judy pointing at something not too far away, he raced forward, leaning over a partially collapsed wall as he tried to see what it was that they were so upset about, even though he knew it could only be one thing.

His optics met the same sight, and he felt as if the world had dropped out from under him.

Bumblebee could see some of the soldiers standing there in disbelief. He could see an anxious Will Lennox, restraining a distraught Mikaela. He could see the medic preparing to use a defibrillator. But none of that mattered. Nothing mattered, nothing except the source of the soldiers' disbelief, Lennox's anxiety, Mikaela's distress, Ron and Judy's agonized screams, and the reason why the medic was preparing to use the defibrillator.

Sam, lying on the ground. Eyes closed, skin charred and bloody, not moving. Not breathing. And Bumblebee knew enough about human medical care and practices to know exactly what the presence of the defibrillator meant. Sam's heart…Sam's heart had stopped.

_No._

_No!_

_No, Primus, please…not Sam! Not Sam. Not my brother. Please, not him!_

Bumblebee edged closer, optics remaining on Sam, even though the sight of his closest friend lying there, not moving or breathing, made him feel like someone was driving a spike through his Spark with each failed jolt from the defibrillator. It was too much, and the sight of the medic finally dropping the defibrillator with a resigned shake of his head, was the tipping point.

With a mournful, broken wail, Bumblebee fell to his knees. His optics focused on Sam again, and he could feel his Spark break. They'd already lost Optimus, and now, Sam was gone, too. He was gone. He wasn't coming back.

Once again, the words from that long-ago conversation with Sam in the garage came back into his processor, but this time, as Bumblebee remembered them through his grief, the words almost seemed to be mocking.

_I'm not going anywhere, Bee._

But that wasn't true. Sam _was_ gone. He'd gone somewhere Bumblebee couldn't follow, and he was never coming back.

_You're my brother, as far as anyone can be._

Bumblebee covered his faceplate with his hands as he let out another mournful cry. _You were my brother, too, Sam._

_And brothers stick together, not matter what._

_But I left you to face Megatron alone,_ the young Autobot thought dejectedly. _I didn't stick with you and I'm sorry._

_I'm not going anywhere, Bee._

_I promise._

But Sam had broken his promise. Bumblebee knew, though, without a doubt, that it wasn't the human's fault. Megatron was the reason the promise was broken.

Sam would have never broken the promise himself. Never.

_I'm so sorry, Sam. If only I was a little faster…if only I'd gotten here sooner. I could have saved you._

Bumblebee knew that he should be angry at Megatron, knew that he should want to go after the Decepticon leader and make him pay for what he had done to Sam. But he couldn't. He was too emotionally drained-he felt as if he was drowning in grief, and he knew that if Megatron were to come and kill him as well, he wouldn't even fight back. If he was dead, maybe he would be with Sam again. But in reality, he felt dead already. Part of him had died with Sam, and it wouldn't take much to finish the job.

He was dimly aware of Mikaela saying something to Sam, but he couldn't focus on what she was saying. Not that it mattered. Sam was gone, and he wasn't coming back. Nothing mattered anymore.

Suddenly, Sam's eyes shot open as he took one long, gasping breath.

Bumblebee jerked back in surprise, doorwings and antennae perking up in shock. It couldn't be…this was impossible…was he imagining this? Tentatively, not daring to believe, Bumblebee ran a scan to confirm what his optics were seeing. Was this just vision, nothing more than a product of his Spark and processor wishing that he had been able to save Sam?

No. It was real. _It was real_. Sam was alive.

_Sam was alive!_

Sam was alive, making his way unsteadily to his feet, and holding…the Matrix of Leadership. Somehow, he'd managed to reform it. Was that why he had returned?

Bumblebee decided it didn't matter. Sam was alive, and that was what counted. The young Autobot scout rose back to his feet, watching as Sam limped his way up to the motionless body of Optimus Prime.

Bumblebee had been starting to think that Primus wasn't watching over them anymore. But now, as he watched Sam use the Matrix to return Optimus to them, the young Autobot scout realized that Primus _was_ watching over them. He'd allowed Optimus Prime and Sam to come back from a place where return should have been impossible.

As Optimus sat up, gratitude shining in his optics as he looked at Sam, and as Sam limped back closer to him, Bumblebee knew things would be alright.

Everything mattered again.

* * *

Bumblebee hung back from the reunions that were taking place. He wanted to be there as well, but he knew that Ron, Judy, and Mikaela needed this just as much, if not more, than he did, so he kept a respectful distance, merely observing.

After Optimus had been revived and the Fallen had shown up, the rest of the battle had passed in a blur to the young Autobot. He wasn't sure exactly what had happened, but the end result was all that mattered-the Fallen was dead, Megatron was grievously wounded, and Starscream and the Decepticon leader had fled. They were safe, for now, and for that, Bumblebee was grateful.

Sam was safe. But the memory of seeing him lying there, dead, would haunt Bumblebee's thoughts for quite some time, if not forever. Watching Sam hug Mikaela, the young Autobot couldn't suppress a slight shudder at the memory of the pain he had felt when he had seen Sam's lifeless body.

Sam noticed this, and pulled slightly away from Mikaela to look at Bumblebee before he turned back to her, whispering, "I'm going to go talk to Bee for a minute, okay? He looks like he needs it." He looked at his parents. "Alone, okay?" They nodded.

Bumblebee looked up when he heard Sam approaching him. He noticed that the human was walking with a limp that was obviously very painful and that worried him, along with the burns and cuts that covered Sam's body.

With a soft warble, Bumblebee tilted his head to one side as he looked at Sam, shifting through radio clips until he found one that suited what he wanted to say. _"An apple a day keeps the doctor away."_

Sam shook his head. "I'm not going to see the doctor yet, Bee. I need to talk to you. You okay?"

The young Autobot crouched down to be closer to Sam's eye level. With a very soft whine, he touched Sam's right shoulder gently with one finger. "S-Sam," he rasped in his broken voice, the words soft and sad, "I-I t-thought t-that I l-lost yo-youu."

Sam placed his hand on Bumblebee's finger. "Hey, it's okay, Bee. I came back. It's okay. I'm okay, see?"

Bumblebee's response to that was just one word. "Promise."

Sam caught on to his meaning right away, looking down. "I'm sorry, Bee. I didn't mean to break that promise I made to you."

The scout shook his head, carefully phrasing his reply one word at a time so his speech would be clear. "Not. You. Megatron's. Fault."

Sam sighed. "Yeah, guess you're right." He frowned. "But this is a new promise, Bee. From me to you. I promise that it'll never happen again. No more broken promises, by me on my own or by Megatron causing me to break them. No more, never."

"_Brothers stick together, no matter what,"_ Bumblebee replied, using a recording of Sam's words from that conversation long ago.

Sam smiled, and, knowing that Bumblebee needed it, stepped forward and hugged the young Autobot. It was hard for a human to hug an Autobot, but Sam always tried his best, and he knew Bumblebee appreciated it.

Sure enough, Bumblebee chirped happily, hugging Sam back as gently as he could. Which was, amazingly enough for a giant robot that could pound a Decepticon twice his size into scrap, gentle enough that if he had been asleep, Sam knew it wouldn't have woken him up. Pulling back from the hug, Sam noticed with satisfaction that Bumblebee seemed to be feeling better about the day's events.

"Okay, Bee, let's…" Sam stumbled, catching his right ankle at an odd angle. This brought a hiss of pain from the boy, and immediately Bumblebee was scooping him up into his hand, chirping worriedly. Sam managed a pained grin. "I'm alright, Bee."

"_Nuh-uh,"_ Bumblebee shook his head. _"The doctor will see you now,"_ he quoted as he began to head towards the area where Ratchet was conducting repairs on the injured Autobots, and the human medics were tending to the wounded soldiers.

Sam gave a sigh, resigning himself to the visit to the medic that Bumblebee was making him undergo. However, he couldn't help folding his arms and saying in a slightly pouty voice. "You're supposed to be on _MY_ side, Bee."

Bumblebee feigned a hurt look. Sam laughed, and Bumblebee couldn't suppress a raspy chuckle of his own.

It had been an exhausting, trying day, yes, but it was over now.

And everything was right again.


	8. An Autobot Christmas

**A/N:** _Y'see, last year, I intended to do a Christmas special with this story. However, things didn't go according to plan (the fact that I rediscovered Beast Wars around the same time has absolutely NOTHING to do with it, yeeeeessss), not to mention that what I had planned was going to severely spoil what I plan on doing in a future TF movie fic, so I put that on halt for the time being. _

_This is the new special. I hope you all like it._

_Now, one thing. I've never lived in the dorms at college, but my brother did, and when it was Christmas break campus closed down and everyone who was in the dorms had to leave, go home or wherever, so yeah. I don't know if that happens at EVERY college, but for the story's sake, it happens here._

_I divided this up into seven sections, each with its own special theme, to showcase one (or two) important points in Bumblebee and Sam's Christmas. I debated over and over about whether to include the theme headings at the beginning of each section, but finally decided not to. The themes are hopefully obvious, so it didn't seem necessary in the end._

_After the last two chapters, I think we need something more cheerful. So, here ya go._

_Enjoy, and Happy Christmas._

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Transformers, or any of the song/movie quotes used in this story. However, the idea for this story does, indeed, belong to me.**

**HERE'S YOUR TRADITIONAL, FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD REMINDER THIS IS NOT A SLASH FIC.**

**NOTE: DO NOT READ THIS FIC UNLESS YOU HAVE SEEN REVENGE OF THE FALLEN****! MAJOR SPOILERS ABOUND!**

**Adventures with Autobots-Bonus Chapter 2**

**Title: An Autobot Christmas**

**Rating: K+ (Just to be safe)**

**Words: 5,737**

**Characters: **Sam, Bumblebee, Mikaela (mentioned), Wheelie (mentioned), Ron (mentioned), Judy (mentioned), Optimus, Ironhide, Ratchet, Sideswipe, Jolt, Arcee, Chromia, Elita-1, Skids, Mudflap

**Pairings: **Sam/Mikaela (mentioned)

**Takes Place: **Four Months after ROTF

**Spoiler Warnings: **Reading the novels/comics/seeing the movies helps.

**Other Warnings: **Fluff, and Brotherly Love.

**Teaser:**_ When their original plans for Christmas don't go through, Sam and Bumblebee decide to make the best of the holiday by themselves._

* * *

BUMBLEBEE HAD ALWAYS BEEN FASCINATED BY THE SUDDEN CHANGE THAT seemed to occur in humans this time every year.

As a scout, it was his job to observe the species native to whatever planet the Autobots visited, but it was something he enjoyed doing regardless of the fact that it was what he was supposed to do. So when he had first arrived on Earth, he had quietly observed the humans he came across as he went about the task of trying to find information on the All-Spark's location. His observations had shown him that, for the most part, humans spent their time rushing around, not really taking notice of anything other than what they deemed important to themselves, and not really providing much assistance to others.

There were exceptions to this, of course, but the majority of humans led him to believe that their species was a hasty one, way different than his own species. Not that it was a bad thing for them to be like that-they were a young species and didn't have much experience yet, not to mention that a human's lifespan was far shorter than that of a Cybertronian-but he found it strange that humans didn't really seem to enjoy what they had, which was a relatively peaceful existence and each other. Maybe it was because of a war that had been going on far longer than he himself had been alive, but Cybertronians, or at least the Autobots, had learned to enjoy those rare peaceful moments that came along and they all had a close bond with each other. Most humans had that, like he had noticed. Why didn't they appreciate it?

And then his first December on Earth had rolled around, and the conclusions Bumblebee had drawn from his observations had been, to use the human phrase, completely thrown out of the window. Suddenly, the once-hasty humans were now taking their time, pausing to talk to others, and helping those less fortunate than themselves. They sang, they laughed, they hung brightly-colored lights on their houses and on the plants that grew around their homes. They bought items at the store, like usual, but then they took the time to wrap them up in colored paper and gave them to each other. They gathered in large groups simply to have a good time and enjoy each other's company.

It was a change so sudden that Bumblebee was amazed.

He'd done research online to try and find an explanation for the sudden change in the humans' behavior, and what he found was interesting. Apparently, around this time every year, the humans celebrated something that they called "Christmas". While it was a holiday with religious significance to most humans, it was also a time that the humans set aside every year to spend time with their families. Bumblebee liked the idea, but he hadn't really understood much about it-holidays were something Cybertronians didn't really have, what with the war and all- until quite some time later, when he'd been able to experience his first Christmas as a member of the Witwicky family.

It was something he couldn't really describe or put words to, but if he had to, he'd simply say that there was an overwhelming feeling of peace and happiness that accompanied the holiday. He'd felt that on the first official Christmas he'd celebrated, and he loved it. Needless to say, Christmas had quickly become his favorite Earth holiday.

And now, two years after his first time celebrating the holiday, Bumblebee once again found himself looking forward to spending Christmas with Sam and his family, more so this year after what had happened in Egypt four months previously. After _that_, he wanted to keep his family together the best he could. At the moment, he was out driving around, waiting for Sam to finish up with packing his stuff for the trip home from college. He'd offered to wait in one of the parking lots at the school, but Sam had insisted on Bumblebee doing some driving around. _"It'll keep you warm and the snow won't pile on top of you," _Sam had said, so Bumblebee had adjusted his comm to pick up and send text messages to Sam's phone so he would know when to come and get his friend, and had headed out into town to look at the decorations that had been set up.

While he been driving around, the light fall of snow had increased slightly, so he used his windshield wipers to clear off what snow fell on him as best as he could. Bumblebee wasn't all too fond of snow-mainly because it was cold and he had unpleasant memories about cold-but he had to admit that it looked nice with all the lights and decorations that were up this time of the year.

As he looked at the decorations, Bumblebee thought over what present he should get Sam this year. He'd asked Sam what he wanted, but the human had laughed and told him that having a robot that could change into an awesome Camaro as his brother was present enough. The young Autobot had been touched by Sam's words, but still wanted to get him a present. He'd yet to get any messages from Sam, indicating that his friend wasn't ready to be picked up yet, so he continued to drive down the streets, looking at the decorations through the snow and thinking of what to get for Sam's present.

* * *

Things were most definitely NOT going according to plan.

Sam stared at his phone in disbelief. He'd just gotten a call from his parents, and while he'd been expecting one, what the conversation had told him was not expected at all.

"_We're sorry, Sam, but there's a really nasty blizzard going on, and our flight has been delayed indefinitely. We're not going to be able to get back home for Christmas."_

Stupid unpredictable winter weather.

But that wasn't even the half of it. No, quite some time before his parents had called, he'd gotten a phone call from Mikaela. Mikaela had told him that she was very sorry because and that she wished he could come with her, but there was a family emergency back home-her dad was in the hospital- and she needed to leave right then. She'd apologized over and over again, but Sam had reassured her that it was okay, even if he was disappointed-he knew he couldn't be upset about her wanting to go back home so fast after finding out about her dad.

So now their holiday plans had been completely trashed by events out of their control.

The original plan had been a simple one, really. His parents had been visiting friends out of state, and had planned on flying back home that night. Sam and Bumblebee were going to pick up Mikaela-she lived with Wheelie in an apartment near the college now-and make their way back to the Witwicky home. They were going to all celebrate Christmas together.

So much for that idea.

Sam knew, though, that he wasn't upset with his parents or Mikaela for what happened. It wasn't anyone's fault. Things just went wrong sometimes.

If there was anything Sam knew for certain, it was that.

With a sigh, Sam opened his phone again and composed a text message.

_Hey, Bee, are you still driving around? _

Only a few seconds passed after he sent the message when his phone buzzed with a reply.

_Yeah. Are you ready to go pick up Mikaela?_

What followed next was a brief back-and-forth text message conversation as Sam informed his friend of the news he had just gotten from his parents.

_Yeah, about that, Bee. There's been a change in plans, I guess. _

_What? What happened, Sam? Are you okay?_ Bumblebee's concern was nearly palpable through the text message. Sam could basically see Bumblebee suddenly turning around and driving quickly back to the college campus, and he hastened to reassure his friend.

_I'm fine, Bee. It's just…I got a message from Mom and Dad. Their flight's been delayed because of a blizzard. They won't be able to get home for Christmas, so we can't go back to the house._

Bumblebee's answer to that took a while, but it finally came and Sam could sense the hope in the words he read.

_Well…we can still spend the holiday with Mikaela, right?_

_No, Bee. Mikaela's dad is in the hospital and she rushed home a while ago and Wheelie went with her. _

_Oh. _

Bumblebee's disappointment couldn't be shown in the words of the text, but Sam knew his friend and knew it was there anyway, and besides, he had the same feeling of disappointment himself. He quickly formed a reply and sent it to his friend in an effort to make Bumblebee-and himself-feel better. _Hey, Bee. We can still have Christmas together, buddy. Mikaela said we could stay in the apartment if we want to, since we can't stay on campus during break._

_Okay, Sam. I'll be there in a few minutes._

_See you then, Bee._ Sam sent, then closed his phone and put it back into his pocket. He turned back to the bags he had packed for the now-cancelled trip home. Shaking his head with another sigh, Sam grabbed the bags from off of his bed. He still needed what he had packed, at least. Going home or not going home, at least he was ready. He shouldered his backpack, and left his room as he headed out to meet Bumblebee.

* * *

Bumblebee arrived at the entrance to Sam's dorm and saw his friend standing there waiting for him, holding on to the bags he had packed for the planned trip home.

_I hope he hasn't been waiting outside this whole time,_ the young Autobot thought worriedly, opening his driver's side door so that Sam could get in where it was warm-he'd been running his heater just so Sam wouldn't be cold once they left campus together. It was getting colder and colder-Bumblebee didn't like that one bit- and the snowfall was increasing, and Bumblebee didn't like the idea of Sam standing outside in it at all.

"Sorry about this, Bee," Sam apologized as he settled into the driver's seat.

"_It is nobody's fault-least of all, yours,"_ Bumblebee quoted as he shut his door and pulled away from the building, heading back out onto the road. The last thing either of them needed was to feel responsible for the change in plans. No one was responsible. Sometimes, things just happened, and although the young Autobot did feel disappointed about not being able to spend the holidays with Sam's family, he knew that was beyond their control.

"Yeah, you're right, Bee," Sam replied. He gave a small smile. "We'll just have to do the best we can ourselves. What do you say we drop my stuff off at the apartment, then head out to do some Christmas shopping? I know Mikaela didn't bother to decorate the apartment because she wasn't planning on being there, so we could pick up some decorations and do it ourselves."

"_Sounds like fun_," Bumblebee responded, perking up a little. He liked decorating, and even though a visit to the store was usually hectic around this time of year, he enjoyed looking at everything Christmas-related that showed up in stores at the same time. And, while they were at the store, maybe he would get an idea-or find something-for Sam's present.

"I know this isn't going to be the Christmas we had planned, Bee," Sam told the young Autobot, patting his steering wheel. "But we're going to make it a great one anyway."

Bumblebee chirped in agreement. The disappointment was still there, but it was fading, because he knew, and he knew Sam did as well, that even though they weren't spending Christmas with the rest of Sam's family, they could still spend it with each other, and that was just as good.

* * *

"Okay, so we're basically starting from scratch here, Bee." Sam frowned as he looked over the hastily scribbled list he had made, consisting of everything from lights to a small Christmas tree. "Not only that, but we have a lot of stuff to get."

Bumblebee nodded in agreement. He'd opted to use his holoform so that he could accompany Sam into the store instead of waiting out in the parking lot while his friend did all of the shopping they needed to do. This way, he could help Sam-fortunately Autobot holoforms were capable of physically touching other objects, which was something that human-produced holograms could not do. When Sam had asked how it worked, Bumblebee had shrugged and responded that Sam should ask Wheeljack about it-when Wheeljack actually arrived, that is-because he really didn't understand how it worked himself, only that it did. Wheeljack had made the modifications to the holoform technology that made it possible to physically touch or hold something. Before that, the holoform had just been nothing more than a hologram.

In his holoform, Bumblebee could accompany Sam places where he couldn't go in his regular form, which was nice. The first few days after he had returned with Sam to the college after the events in Egypt, he'd been reluctant to be separated from Sam, so he had accompanied him around campus in his holoform, utilizing the story that he was Sam's younger brother-which he truly considered himself to be- and that he was there on a visit. To fit in with this, Bumblebee had made his holoform look somewhat similar to Sam-something that Sam found both weird and very cool-so that he really _did_ look like he was his friend's younger brother. After a while, he'd stopped accompanying Sam to his classes all the time, but he'd kept to visual changes to his holoform as he knew they could be useful again in the future.

Of course, useful though it was, in his holoform, he didn't really have any way to communicate verbally with Sam, but that was alright, seeing as how Sam always seemed to know what he wanted to say even when he couldn't actually speak. Still, with the store being so busy and with being unable to vocalize in holoform, Bumblebee made sure to stick close to Sam so that he would not get separated from his friend in what Sam had called the "Pre-Christmas Chaos".

He still tried to keep a lookout for a potential present for Sam, but so far, he hadn't noticed anything that he thought would work. So he just busied himself helping Sam shop, putting items in the cart when Sam handed them to him.

By the time it was all said and done and they had managed to find their way through the crowds at the store, Bumblebee and Sam had a tree, boxes of lights and decorations, wrapping paper, gift tags, a box of cookies, some box dinners, and something that Sam had hidden under his coat that he told Bumblebee that he wasn't allowed to look at. Sam even made him turn away so that he couldn't see what it was when they were checking out. The young Autobot instantly figured out that whatever it was, it must be what Sam was getting him for his present, and it made him all the more determined to find something for Sam despite his friend's insistence that he didn't need anything.

Bumblebee hadn't found a gift today. But he still had a few days left until Christmas. He had time to find one.

At least, he hoped so.

As they exited the store, Sam suddenly stopped. He dug into his pocket and pulled out a couple of crumpled one-dollar bills, which he handed to Bumblebee. Bumblebee gave him a confused look, but Sam nodded in the direction of a man standing beside a red pail, ringing a bell. A sign hanging over the bucket read Salvation Army.

"Go put that money in the bucket, Bee. They always collect money this time of year for those who really need it."

The eyes of Bumblebee's holoform brightened as he realized what this was for. Helping those in need. Well, he was willing to do that. He was an Autobot, after all. He walked over and placed the money into the bucket, and the man ring the bell next to it smiled at him.

"Thank you. Merry Christmas," the man told Bumblebee.

Bumblebee nodded and walked back to Sam, and the two of them headed back out to the parking lot.

Once they were where Bumblebee had parked, Sam looked around, and then at Bumblebee.

"Coast's clear, Bee."

Bumblebee nodded, and his holoform winked out of existence as he shifted his full awareness back into his real body. He gave his frame a little shake to displace the snow that had gathered on his vehicle mode while he had been in the store in holoform with Sam, then popped his doors open with a chirp. _"It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas," _he quoted as Sam placed what they had gotten t the store on his back seat.

"Well, not yet, Bee. We gotta actually _do_ some decorating first," Sam placed the last of the bags on the seat, then got in himself. "And," he added as an afterthought, "Remember, no peeking in the bags."

"_Awwwwww…"_ Bumblebee pouted, but he really didn't mean it. He liked the idea of not knowing what present he was getting. It made him look forward to it more.

Sam laughed, playfully swatting the steering wheel. "Hey, come on, big guy. You won't have to wait that long. Christmas is only a few days away."

Bumblebee clicked in mock impatience as he headed out of the store parking lot and began to head back in the direction of the apartment, but couldn't suppress the amused chirp that followed, causing Sam to laugh again.

The young Autobot switched around the stations on his radio for a minute before he found one that was playing nothing but Christmas music, and he left it on that during the drive back to the apartment. And as Sam-who was musically inclined with a guitar but was no singer-began to sing along to the songs that played on the radio-off-key, yes, but he was having fun and that was the important thing-Bumblebee realized that, although he still wished that their original plans hadn't been cancelled, he no longer felt disappointed because of it.

Not one bit.

* * *

Bumblebee had helped with Christmas decorations before. Back in Tranquility, he had helped out by using his height while in robot mode to hang Christmas lights on the outside of the house. But he'd never helped decorate the _inside_ of a human dwelling before. With Sam's insistence, Bumblebee once again activated his holoform and followed Sam into the apartment. He knew how the humans decorated the inside of their homes, but having never done it himself and feeling slightly nervous that he wouldn't do it the right way, he merely helped, handing his friend the ornaments for the tree while Sam did most of the decorating-at first.

Sam, however, noticed this almost right away and quickly stepped up.

"Hey, Bee, come on, you can help out more. Decorating's easy and it's fun. Here, just pick a place on the tree where you think an ornament will look the best and put it there."

Bumblebee quickly got the hang of decorating after that, and soon the little tree they had gotten was fully decorated. Once that was done, Bumblebee and Sam quickly checked to make sure there was no one around outside, so that the young Autobot could transform and help with the lights on the apartment's terrace. Bumblebee held the lights along the terrace while Sam went around and secured them in place, and soon they were finished decorating, both inside the apartment and outside.

By that point, it was late. A lot had happened since Bumblebee had set out for a drive around town while he waited to hear when his friend was ready to be picked up from campus, and the young Autobot was feeling pretty tired. One look at Sam let him know that his friend felt the exact same way.

"_Time for bed,"_ Bumblebee transmitted, giving Sam a gentle poke with one finger, reaching over the terrace to do so.

Sam offered the Autobot a tired smile. "That's a great idea, Bee." Then he frowned. "Are you gonna be okay out here?"

"_Uh-huh,"_ Bumblebee warbled, nodding. Thankfully, the snow had stopped, and although there was a decent amount of it drifted about on the ground and it was still cold, he didn't mind as much when there wasn't a pile of very cold snow gathering on him as he recharged.

"You sure?"

Bumblebee gave Sam a thumbs up, chirping an affirmative. He wasn't all too fond of the cold, but he didn't mind, and anyway, it wasn't like there was anywhere else he could go to recharge.

"Alright, then," Sam relented, leaning out over the terrace to give Bumblebee's cheek an affectionate pat. "Look, I'm sorry that our trip home got cancelled, but it's still been pretty fun so far. We'll just have to keep it that way. See you in the morning, okay?"

Bumblebee nodded. _ "Okay."_

Sam gave his friend a parting smile as he went back into the apartment. "Night, Bee."

"G-goodnight, Sam."

The door to the apartment slid shut with a click and Bumblebee was left alone outside. He folded back down into his vehicle mode, backing up until he was settled in the parking place directly below the apartment where Sam was staying.

His human brother was right; that evening _had_ been fun. He'd never been so involved in Christmas decorating before, and he'd really enjoyed it. It wasn't the trip they had planned, yes, but it was turning out to be alight anyway. He and Sam were enjoying their time together, and that was what mattered.

And decorating the tree was _fun_.

Bumblebee settled down to recharge, and he once again found his thoughts drifting to what Sam's present should be. Sam was his best friend, his brother, and he wanted the gift he gave him to be something really special.

The young Autobot drifted into recharge thinking about it, but no answer came.

Not yet.

* * *

The days went by and Christmas came closer. Finally, it was nighttime on Christmas Eve, and Bumblebee was starting to get worried and more than a little anxious. He still hadn't decided what to give Sam, and he was almost completely out of time. He'd been thinking it over for the past few days but hadn't come up with anything. True, Sam had told Bumblebee that the Autobot didn't need to get him a present, but Bumblebee knew that it just wouldn't be right for him to _not_ give one.

Once again, Bumblebee was in his parking spot below the terrace to the apartment, desperately wracking his processors for a gift idea. It had started snowing again, and the cold caused by the snow gathering on top of his alt mode was really distracting, not to mention it brought memories to the surface of his thoughts that he'd much rather keep buried deep in his processor.

The young Autobot was so absorbed in his thoughts that he didn't notice Sam's approach until he felt the human place a hand on his driver's side door. Startled out of his thoughts, Bumblebee let out a questioning chirp. _Sam? What is he doing out here so late?_

The answer came when Sam tugged on the door handle. "Hey, Bee. Sorry if I woke you up…let me in, okay?"

Confused, Bumblebee opened his door, noting with surprise that Sam's arms were full-he was carrying a pillow and a blanket. "Sam…w-what a-are you...?"

Sam settled himself in the driver's seat, still holding on to the blanket and pillow that he had brought with him. "Bee, I hate the idea of you being out here by yourself in the cold on Christmas Eve, so I'm going to keep you company. Besides, Christmas is for spending time with you family and you're my brother. I'm not going to let you stay out here all by yourself tonight, okay?"

Touched by Sam's words, Bumblebee clicked gratefully, reclining the driver's seat so that it could form a makeshift bed for Sam. His friend placed the pillow under his head and covered up with the blanket to keep warm, but Bumblebee didn't want to take any chances, and began to make his interior as warm as he could get it and still have the temperature be comfortable for Sam.

"Thanks, Bee. Are you…does the cold still bother you?"

Bumblebee gave a little shake of his frame. The memories were still there, but they were fading back into the hiding place he had created for them. _"A little,"_ he admitted. "But…n-not s-so much n-now, b-because you're wi-with me." And that was true. Sam had saved him from the cold before, way back when he had been in the situation that had created his dislike of it in the first place, and now he was here again to help.

Sam closed his eyes and smiled. "No problem, Bee. Gotta look out for my little brother, after all."

Bumblebee clicked with quiet laughter for a minute, then quieted down. "T-thank y-you, Sam."

"No problem, Bee," Sam said through a yawn. "Like I told you, Christmas is a time to spend with your family."

Moments later, Sam was sound asleep, and Bumblebee found himself drifting towards recharge as well. He had just settled down into his frame to enter his recharge cycle when what Sam had told him suddenly clicked.

_Christmas is a time to spend with your family. Of course! I know what to do know._

He had a few things to take care of now before he went into recharge, but they didn't take long at all, and he was soon finished with them, settling back down as he entered his recharge cycle, satisfied with the results.

Bumblebee was really looking forward to tomorrow now.

* * *

"Where are we going, Bee?" Sam questioned, looking out the window as the winter scenery zipped by. When he'd woken up that morning, Bumblebee had used a combination of radio clips and his own voice to tell Sam to get ready and bring the presents he'd bought-the young Autobot had a surprise for him. The human figured that, since it was Christmas morning, wherever Bumblebee was taking him must have something to do with the holiday.

"_You'll see,"_ Bumblebee quoted, mischief evident in the tone of his borrowed voice. Primus, he knew Sam was going to love this.

As Sam continued to look out the driver's side window-grateful that there was hardly anyone out and about on the roads today, as it meant he didn't really have to keep up the charade of driving-he realized that Bumblebee was taking him along the familiar roads that led to the place they had dubbed "The New Lookout". Why would the young Autobot be taking him there?

As they got closer and the area that Sam and Bumblebee had adopted as their own hideout came into view, Sam saw just why Bumblebee was taking him out here, and why the young Autobot seemed happier than he normally did on Christmas.

And the reason for it was the sight of ten familiar vehicles ranging from a large semi to a motorcycle.

Bumblebee pulled to a stop next to the tree, and Sam got out when he opened the driver's side door. Sam was amazed. All of the Autobots-sans Wheelie, who went with Mikaela-where here; Optimus, Ironhide, Ratchet, Sideswipe, Arcee, Jolt, Chromia, Skids, Mudflap, and Elita-1.

"Guys, what are you all doing here?" Sam asked, confusion evident in his voice and facial expression.

"Bumblebee contacted us last night," Optimus Prime informed Sam in his deep voice, initiating his transform sequence into his robot mode, with the other Autobots present following suit. "He told us about what happened to you holiday plans, and he suggested that we should all come here to visit for a while."

Sam looked up at Bumblebee. "You…really did this, Bee? You got everyone to come here? Why?"

The young Autobot was practically bouncing up and down. "_Christmas is a time to spend with your family,"_ he responded, using a recording of the words Sam had said to him the previous night.

"But they're _YOUR_ family, Bee, not mine," Sam told his friend.

Bumblebee shook his head with an earnest chirp, crouching down and placing a finger on Sam's shoulder. The young Autobot gestured towards the other Autobots, warbling insistently.

"I think what Bumblebee means by this, Sam," Optimus Prime responded with a slight smile, "Is that you became a member of our family the moment you agreed to help us for the first time."

Bumblebee nodded earnestly, looking at Sam.

Realizing that this, the visiting of the non-human part of his family that he had never realized extended beyond Bumblebee, had to be the young Autobot scout's Christmas gift to him, Sam suddenly found himself blinking rapidly. No, he was not blinking back tears. His eyes were just watering because of the cold. Yeah, that was it. But…

He looked up at Bumblebee, and smiled. "Thank you, Bee."

Bumblebee couldn't smile, but the happiness that shone in his optics was enough for Sam.

"Oh, yeah," Sam continued, holding up the packages he had brought with him. "These are for you, Bee."

Bumblebee took both packages and unwrapped them as carefully as he possibly could. He laughed when he saw what they were-a coupon booklet for a car wash place-Sam knew that he liked it when he went to a car wash- and an anti-virus program-referencing the time two months earlier when he'd gotten a "cold" from a computer virus he'd got into his systems from downloading videos from the internet.

_That human anti-virus program is too primitive to be of any use to your system, Bumblebee,_ Ratchet told him via the comm. _I don't think Sam knows that._

_He knows, Ratchet,_ Bumblebee sent back. _And it's the thought that counts, anyway. He meant it to be funny._ Looking back at Sam, Bumblebee smiled with his optics again, a heartfelt quote of _"Thank you"_ coming from his radio.

Sam smiled back at him. No other response was needed.

* * *

They spent the rest of the day with the other Autobots. The newer members of the Earth team asked Bumblebee to explain Christmas better, and he did, Sam helping him out when he could. It felt nice to spend time with the others, and Sam was glad Bumblebee had called them over, and Bumblebee was happy that Sam liked what he had done. This wasn't the portion of their family they had originally intended to spend the holiday with, but they were family nonetheless and they were having fun together.

Before long, though, the talk had died down, and the younger Autobots-and Sam including-had started a snowball fight with each other. The Autobots were very careful when throwing snowballs at Sam-they didn't want to run the risk of hurting him, after all. The older Autobots stood of to the side as they watched the youngsters' fun.

"Slagging younglings," Ironhide grumbled, but he wasn't really annoyed by what Bumblebee and the others were doing. "Running around and carrying on loudly like that."

"This is a rare moment of peace, Ironhide," Optimus Prime told his old friend as he, too, watched the antics of the younger members of their family. "Let them have fun a bit longer."

"How is hurling frozen water around at each other fun?" Ironhide questioned gruffly. "I don't see-"

His words were cut off as a large snowball smacked him in the side of the head.

Silence fell as Ironhide turned to face the culprit-a very guilty looking Bumblebee.

"You," Ironhide growled, pointing at the young Autobot. "Are going to get it."

Bumblebee turned to run from his guardian, but Ironhide had scooped up a large ball of snow and thrown it at the youngest Autobot before he could get very far. Bumblebee squealed when it hit him, and the next thing he knew Ironhide had caught up to him and was tickling him mercilessly, saying, "This is how I deal with younglings who throw snowballs at me, kid!"

Bumblebee clicked with laughter even as he struggled to get away.

"Don' worry, Bee-bro! We'll rescue ya!" Skids yelled as he gathered up some more snow.

"We're coming, Bee!" Sam called to his friend, laughing. "Don't give up!"

The rescue was launched, and by the time it was all said and done, every young Autobot-as well as Sam and Ironhide-had been thoroughly covered with snow. That ended the snowball fight, but they all stayed at the lookout for a long time, resuming their talking and visiting with each other.

All too soon, though, it was time for Sam and Bumblebee to go back to the apartment, and for Optimus and the rest of the Autobots to return to the base. The human and his Autobot companion thanked the others for coming again and again, and watched as they left, not moving until the last of them was out of sight.

"Bee?" Sam asked then.

"_Huh?"_ Bumblebee warbled curiously.

"I just wanted to thank you for this. It…it means a lot."

Bumblebee chirped, picking Sam up so that he could give his best friend-his brother-a gentle hug. Sam returned the embrace, something Bumblebee was grateful for.

After a few minutes, Sam pulled back with a smile. "Hey, Bee, let's go back to the apartment. It's freezing out here."

Bumblebee chirped in agreement, placing Sam back on the ground so that he could transform back into his alt mode. He opened his door, and Sam got in. Bumblebee shut the door behind him, and pulled onto the road, heading back to the apartment.

The human and young Autobot's thoughts were the same as they traveled down the road.

It might not have been the Christmas they had planned or expected, but it certainly was the best Christmas ever. After all, Christmas was for spending time with your family, and Bumblebee and Sam and all of the other Autobots were one big extended family.

And they always would be.


	9. I Feel Old

**A/N:** _Yeah, I know. I haven't updated this story since the Christmas Special, and I'm sorry. I've been focusing on my DOTM-verse stories, but since I just finished another monster of a chapter for that I decided to get back into the swing of things for this story._

_Yet another short, funny piece, and also based on an actual experience I had with an eighteen-month old child. YOU try convincing someone who is not yet three years old that wooden blocks are not cookies. Yeah, it's near impossible. Just saying._

**Dialogue Guide:**

"_Radio speak"_

_Comm speak/Thoughts/Flashbacks/Written Words_

"Normal speech"

"**Cybertronian"**

_Feedback is greatly appreciated as it helps me improve._

_Enjoy._

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Transformers, or any of the song/movie quotes used in this story. However, the idea for this story does, indeed, belong to me.**

**HERE'S YOUR TRADITIONAL, FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD REMINDER THIS IS NOT A SLASH FIC.**

**NOTE: DO NOT READ THIS FIC UNLESS YOU HAVE SEEN TRANSFORMERS****! MAJOR SPOILERS ABOUND…YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.**

**Writing Prompt #20/50**

**Title: I Feel Old**

**Rating: K+ (Just to be safe)**

**Words: 1,137**

**Characters: **Ironhide, Will, Sarah, Annabelle, Bumblebee (mentioned), Sam (mentioned)

**Takes Place: **One Month before Revenge of the Fallen

**Spoiler Warnings: **Reading the novels/comics/seeing the movies helps.

**Other Warnings: **Kiddie Interaction**  
**

** Teaser:**_ Ironhide is charged with babysitting Annabelle Lennox for a short while. He thinks that after raising Bumblebee, watching a human child will be easy. Hoo, boy, Ironhide, are you in for a surprise._

* * *

WHEN THE ALL-SPARK HAD BEEN DESTROYED the Autobots had, as a whole, made the decision to remain on Earth to protect the humans who had helped them in their fight against the Decepticons. As a result of staying on Earth, the Autobots had all formed close friendships with their human allies. Some formed closer friendships than others-such as Bumblebee and Sam, and, most surprisingly, Ironhide and Will Lennox.

Ironhide's usually gruff demeanor and reputation as a tough old warrior had made him the Autobot that the others thought was the least likely to form any close friendship with a human. But he had; his friendship with Will had started on the day he had given the human a lift back to his home; their discussions on the way to the Lennox home had made him discover a kindred spirit in the human-a soldier who also had a family he cared deeply about. And, through Will, Ironhide had become close to the immediate Lennox family-Will, of course, his wife, Sarah, and their now two-year-old daughter, Annabelle. At first, the humans weren't sure if the integration of a Transforming alien robot into their family would work (even though Bumblebee had proved it possible with his acceptance into the Witwicky family), it had actually turned out rather well. And now, two years after the Mission City incident, Ironhide was firmly a member of and guardian over the Lennox family.

Which was why, despite the misgivings one would expect about leaving a child in the care of a giant alien robot, when Sarah and Will needed someone to watch their daughter for a short time while they did some yard work one day, Ironhide had volunteered to do so.

"Are you sure about this, Ironhide?" Will had asked, looking up at the Weapons Specialist doubtfully. "You know that Annabelle can be a handful when she wants to play."

Ironhide had simply waved a hand to dispel his friend's uncertainty. "Of course I'm sure. I've been around for a very long time; it's not like I don't know how to watch a Sparkling. I raised Bumblebee; I think I can handle this."

"You raised Bumblebee?" Sarah had questioned. "The yellow Autobot that's Sam's friend?"

"I've raised him ever since he was, to use the human term, born," Ironhide had replied with a nod. "He's not very old, you know, at least, not very old for a Cybertronian. I never had any problems raising him. Still don't, actually. Not really. After all, when you get down to it, children are children no matter what their species."

Finally, after a brief discussion amongst themselves, Sarah and Will had agreed to allow their Autobot friend to look after Annabelle, but not before Will had issued a parting reprimand. "No performing target practice on the trees to entertain her this time, Ironhide. I don't care if she likes it. She's only two, and that's dangerous. Just let her play with her own toys. We'll be out back if you need anything."

That was how Ironhide found himself watching the hyper two-year-old. Even though he enjoyed watching Annabelle, mentally he berated himself for forgetting just how much _energy_ the little girl had. Especially since, as loathe as he was to admit it, he wasn't as young as he used to be. True, he hadn't exactly been young even back when he took Bumblebee in way back on Cybertron, but still, he'd had more energy. The black-armored mech vented wearily. _There's nothing like watching a Sparkling to make you feel just how old you really are,_ he thought wryly.

Ironhide was also realizing that, despite what he had told Will earlier, there were differences between human children and Cybertronian children.

For example, Cybertronian Sparklings weren't prone to putting _everything_ in their mouths.

"No, Annabelle," Ironhide had grumbled for what seemed to be the hundredth time. "You don't eat your toys."

Annabelle removed the toy building block from her mouth and looked at it carefully. Finally, with all the seriousness of making an important announcement, she looked back up at the Autobot and, holding the block up, firmly declared, "Cookie, Hide."

The black-armored mech shuttered his optics in surprise. She actually thought that the little wooden block was a cookie; a human snack food? Ironhide knew that children had active imaginations, but he hadn't been expecting something like this. "No, not a cookie. It's a toy."

Annabelle shook her head. "No, Hide. Cookie."

"It's a toy," Ironhide insisted.

"No, cookie."

"No, it's…ah, never mind." And here was a similarity. Sparklings and human children Annabelle's age were near impossible to reason with. Once they decided something, that was that. "Why don't you play with another one of your toys?" Ironhide suggested, hoping to steer her away from attempting to eat the toy block again.

He nudged the box of toys towards the toddler, and it successfully caught her attention. She walked towards it and began to pull toys out in what Ironhide thought was a haphazard fashion, but Annabelle clearly believed it to be a completely organized method of finding just the right toy to play with. A mess rapidly covered the area around the toy box as she dropped toy after toy, but at least none of the toys Annabelle pulled out fit her loosely-defined idea of what a cookie was, to Ironhide's relief.

Fortunately, the rest of the time he spent watching Annabelle that afternoon passed without incident, even though she quickly grew bored of her toys and resorted to yet another one of her favorite pastimes-climbing on the large Autobot. He tried to get her off but she kept climbing back up no matter how many times he sat her back down. Finally, he had just given up trying to prevent her from climbing at all. When Will came by to retrieve Annabelle he saw her sitting happily on Ironhide's leg, looking just as energetic as she had been before he had left. Ironhide, on the other hand, looked exhausted.

"Please, for the love of Primus, come and take her," the old mech vented. "She's been trying to eat her toys because she thinks they are cookies and she's been climbing all over me non-stop. I'm no stranger to watching a hyperactive child, but not even Bumblebee had this much energy when he was little. I'm worn out and she's still going strong. And I _don't_ get worn out!" He gently plucked her off of his leg and handed her back to her father.

"I warned you," Will said placidly, unable to hide the smile on his face as he took the wriggling Annabelle from the Autobot. His voice took on a teasing note. "Guess you're not as young as you thought, anymore, if you can't keep up with a two-year-old, huh?"

Ironhide just glared at him.


	10. Nightmares

**A/N:** _You ever start writing a story, then set it aside to work on another, and come back to it much later, look at it, and say, "Ugh, what was I thinking?" Well, I have, and this chapter is it. I actually had a decent amount of this written a long time ago, just like with the It's Broken chapter, but unlike that one, this chapter had a lot of problems. So, I pretty much got rid of everything past the first two and a half paragraphs and started reasonably fresh. Hopefully this won't disappoint._

_So far I've only really shown Bumblebee's insecurities following the Battle of Giza. Sam's were only shown briefly in chapter three and I wanted to bring more focus on them. _

_Of course he would be concerned that if someone like Optimus could be taken down, the same thing could happen far easier to Bumblebee._

_But enough blabbing from me, there's a story to tell._

**Dialogue Guide:**

"_Radio speak"_

_Comm speak/Thoughts/Flashbacks/Written Words_

"Normal speech"

"**Cybertronian"**

_Feedback is greatly appreciated as it helps me improve._

_Enjoy._

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Transformers, or any of the song/movie quotes used in this story. However, the idea for this story does, indeed, belong to me.**

**HERE'S YOUR TRADITIONAL, FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD REMINDER THIS IS NOT A SLASH FIC.**

**NOTE: DO NOT READ THIS FIC UNLESS YOU HAVE SEEN REVENGE OF THE FALLEN****! MAJOR SPOILERS ABOUND…YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.**

**Writing Prompt #49/50**

**Title: Nightmares**

**Rating: T (Just to be safe)**

**Words: 4,781**

**Characters: **Sam, Bumblebee, Leo

**Takes Place: **Two weeks after Revenge of the Fallen

**Spoiler Warnings:** Reading the novels/comics/seeing the movies helps.

**Other Warnings:** Angst, Fluff, Brotherly Love

**Teaser: **_In the days following the Battle of Giza, Sam begins to have series of nightmares but refuses to talk about them. When they become so bad they start to make him physically ill, Bumblebee takes matters into his own hands to help his friend._

* * *

IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE BATTLE OF EGYPT, BUMBLEBEE was worried. Not for himself; he was fine. True, he had been knocked around badly in his fight against the Decepticons Ravage and Rampage, but his injuries hadn't been all that bad; Ratchet had easily repaired the dents and scrapes that had been inflicted on the yellow Autobot so that now, two weeks later, there was no evidence to show that he had been attacked at all. No, Bumblebee was fine.

It was Sam he was worried about.

Sam's death in Giza, while temporary, had been a terrifying experience for Bumblebee. The pain he had felt at seeing Sam's lifeless body and the guilt he felt from the knowledge that he had failed, as a friend, as a brother, to protect Sam, would be with the young Autobot for the rest of his life. He was immensely thankful that his friend had been restored to life, and had promised himself that he would never again fail in his duty of protecting Sam. But while his thoughts were still haunted by what had happened in the desert, it wasn't…_that_…that had him so worried about Sam. No, it was something else entirely.

Lately his friend had not been sleeping well, and it was affecting his mood when he was awake. Most of the time he was sullen and jumpy. Just the other day, he had even snapped at Bumblebee, though he'd been horrified immediately after doing so and apologized. The young Autobot didn't blame Sam for the outburst, though. It wasn't Sam's fault, but Bumblebee had an idea of what the cause of everything was.

Bumblebee knew that what had happened two weeks ago just _had _to be the source of his friend's sleeping problem. While the entire ordeal of losing Optimus had been rough on everyone, Sam had been so determined to get to the bottom of things that he hadn't really stopped to consider what had happened beyond the first night; the will to find out what exactly was going on and to get the Matrix to revive Optimus had been more than enough to help him ignore what had happened, for the most part. Bumblebee actually suspected that the reason Sam had flung himself so intently into finding what the symbols he was seeing meant was to help himself ignore the guilt he felt over Optimus dying, and once he had found there was a possible way to revive the Autobot leader, he had focused all his attention on getting to it, further preventing any dwelling on the guilt he still felt (although then it was unintentional as he had really wanted to find the Matrix to bring Optimus back, not to help himself). But once they had begun the trip back to the states, everything had finally, completely, caught up to Sam. Everything was over, for now, yes, and Optimus was alive again, but there was still the undeniable fact that Egypt, and the circumstances leading up to it _had_ happened.

And now, back in college with nothing to really keep his mind off of what had happened (as busy as they kept Sam, class and homework were not as good of a distraction as trying to decipher alien glyphs and restore an Autobot to life, it seemed), he was suffering. And it was getting worse with each passing night.

Nightmares.

Bumblebee didn't know much about what humans considered a normal nightmare, but he could guess, based on the fact that Cybertronians were capable of having nightmares during their recharge cycles (especially if they had just gone through a stressful, terrifying ordeal, something he was all-too familiar with). A normal nightmare was one where the one who had it woke up, was able to deal with the fear it caused relatively quickly, and then be able to go back to sleep (or in the case of a Cybertronian, recharge) without any trouble.

Sam's nightmares were worse than that; they were so intense that he was losing sleep. They had started the first night they had spent on the aircraft carrier that took them back to the states after the battle in Giza, but that particular nightmare hadn't been too bad; even though Sam had woken up crying out in fear, he had calmed down quickly enough and gone back to sleep, so Bumblebee had assumed it wasn't too serious of a bad dream. Seeing as how Sam had gone back to sleep so quickly and hadn't had another nightmare again that night, Bumblebee had come to the conclusion that it was a one-time thing. Unfortunately, the days that followed proved the young Autobot wrong, as each night saw Sam waking up from yet another terrible dream, and they were only getting worse as time passed. Seeing the human he considered his brother suffering every time he tried to sleep made Bumblebee feel helpless, and he wanted to do something to help Sam deal with and stop having the nightmares.

But every time Bumblebee tried to coax his friend into talking about what his nightmares were about, Sam would refuse to tell him. He'd simply offer his friend a tired smile and say, "It's nothing, Bee. Don't worry about it."

Despite his human friend's intentions, Sam's constant dismissal of his nightmares as nothing serious was doing nothing to ease Bumblebee's worry about his emotional state. Far from it-it was actually _increasing_ the worry the young Autobot felt. The fact that Sam did not seem to notice this was more than enough to show Bumblebee just how much the dreams were negatively impacting his friend's behavior while awake. Sam would never intentionally make his friend worry, and then ignore that worry. Especially after what had happened in Egypt. Never.

As the days went by, Sam's nightmares seemed to be getting worse, and the lack of sleep he was suffering as a result became all too obvious. The haunted expression on his face and the dark circles under his eyes were proof enough of that. But no matter how little sleep he managed to get, no matter how awful he had to be feeling, he still refused to tell Bumblebee what the dreams were about.

He didn't want to pressure his friend into talking when he was obviously reluctant to do so, but he couldn't stand to watch him suffer, either. The young Autobot didn't like the idea of trying to get Sam to talk against his wishes, but at the same time, he knew it was quite possibly the only thing that would help. Still, Bumblebee just couldn't bring himself to do it.

Even now, watching as Sam entered the dorms to face another night of tormented dreams, Bumblebee knew he could never force his friend to talk, even if it would make him feel better.

He just couldn't.

* * *

Following all the confusion and pain of the past few weeks, if there was one thing Sam knew with absolute certainty, it was that he did not want to make his best friend, the alien robot who'd become the brother he'd never had, worry about him. Sam knew that Bee worried enough about him-what with being his guardian and all-and knowing that he was adding to that worry by refusing to talk about what was bothering him made him feel extremely guilty.

But he couldn't talk to Bumblebee about his nightmares. Despite the sleepless hours, despite how awful he felt, he just couldn't. Just thinking about what he saw when he went to sleep was enough to make him feel sick. Sam didn't even want to begin to consider what actually _talking_ about the nightmares would feel like.

"_Talking helps,"_ Bumblebee had encouraged the other day, when the two of them had gone out to the new lookout after Sam had a particularly rough day, the lack of sleep finally catching up to him and causing him to be late to one of his classes. The young Autobot had taken him out to their hangout in the hope of making him feel better.

It hadn't really worked, but Sam had been grateful all the same.

He'd ground the edges of his palms into his eyes with a groan, and then had looked up at Bumblebee, offering the Autobot a tired smile. "It's nothing, Bee. Don't worry about it."

There had been no mistaking the worry in his friend's optics. _"But-it might-make you feel better."_

He'd shaken his head. "I'm fine."

Bumblebee had tilted his head to one side, eying his friend worriedly. _"If you just-say something-maybe-"_

"Bee!" Sam had snapped, glaring at the Autobot. "Will you just _drop_ it? I said I'm _FINE!_"

Bumblebee had flinched away slightly at his harsh words, the radio he had been using to communicate shutting off instantly. Realizing what he'd just done, Sam's mouth had dropped open and a look of horror had appeared on his face.

"Aw, Bee, I'm sorry. I…I didn't mean to…"

"_I understand,"_ Bumblebee had replied, placing a finger on his shoulder to show that he did not feel upset with him over the outburst. _"You're stressed. It's okay."_

They hadn't said anything else during the time they had spent at the new lookout that day.

He'd snapped at Bumblebee. His friend had only been worried about him, and how had he shown his appreciation for that worry? He'd yelled at Bee. Bumblebee had just been trying to make him feel better and he'd _yelled_ at him. He knew Bumblebee didn't blame him for it. He knew that Bumblebee wasn't upset. What really got him, though, was the fact that after Sam had yelled at the Autobot, all Bumblebee had showed in return was concern and understanding. Concern over how Sam was feeling, and understanding for why he had snapped in the first place. It made him feel even worse. After that, he'd seriously considered talking to Bee about his nightmares. But, in the end, his courage had failed him.

_I'm sorry, Bee,_ Sam thought as he went up the steps that led to the entrance of the dorms. He looked over his shoulder before he entered the building, looking back at where Bee was resting the parking lot. _I don't like making you worry about me_.

Sam knew Bumblebee thought the nightmares he was having were about what had happened to Optimus, what had happened in Egypt.

_But I can't tell you what the dreams are about._

Bumblebee was wrong.

_I just can't._

* * *

_The nightmare always started out the same._

_He was with Bumblebee. And the other Autobots, too; he could tell they were nearby even if he couldn't exactly see them. Things were quiet, relaxed. Peaceful._

_And then everything changed…_

_The peaceful quiet suddenly gave way to screams and cries of terror. Weapons fire. The sounds of battle._

_He was no longer with Bumblebee._

_Where was Bee? He had to find him! He had to find him before one of the Decepticons did! He knew there wasn't much he could do against a Decepticon by himself, but he and Bee were a team. He wasn't going to leave his best friend alone._

_He was running, dodging, as scenes of battle streaked past. He could see Optimus fighting Megatron, and the others fighting the rest of the Decepticons. But Bumblebee was not with them._

_He caught a glimpse of yellow ahead, and ran to it._

"_Bee!" The joyful cry died in his throat, turning into a scream of utter despair and horror as his friend finally came into sight._

"_NO!"_

* * *

"Sam, Sam!"

Someone was shaking him. Sam's eyes snapped open, and he sat bolt upright with a jerk, breathing is short, hard gasps.

"You were having another nightmare," Leo told him, standing back. "It looked pretty bad, so I thought I should wake you up…"

Sam shook his head. Images from his nightmare were still coursing through his mind. What he had seen right before Leo had woken him flashed before his eyes. He felt like he was going to be sick, and suddenly, he was. When he was finished, he sat back on the bed, shaking. Some idle part of his mind appreciated the fact that he kept a trashcan next to his bed, but the rest of him was too preoccupied with the aftereffects of the nightmare. This one had been the worst yet. It had been so much more detailed and vivid that the others. It had seemed so real. Like it had actually happened.

"Maybe you should go see a doctor, Sam," Leo advised seriously.

"No," Sam rasped, shaking his head. He glanced out the window, towards the parking lot. "It's not a doctor I need to see."

Understanding brightened in Leo's eyes. "Ah, okay. An alien robot dream therapist, good idea." He sobered back down immediately after his little joke. Even he knew that what was afflicting Sam was nothing to be taken lightly. "Seriously, though, Sam, you need someone to help you. Maybe Bumblebee can."

"I'll be fine, Leo," Sam insisted as he shakily stood up and headed towards the door. He failed to catch the snort of disbelief from his roommate as he exited his dorm.

Sam made his way unsteadily down first the hall and then the stairs. He still had no intention of talking about his nightmares.

But after what he had seen, he needed to be with Bumblebee. He had to make sure his friend was okay. He knew it had just been a dream, and that it hadn't really happened.

But maybe checking on Bumblebee would make him feel better.

* * *

It seemed to Bumblebee that he had just fallen into recharge when a slight blip on his sensors brought him out of it. With a tired whine, he focused on the dorm building, where his sensors told him the intruder was coming from. He jolted fully online when he saw Sam coming towards him.

The human looked terrible. His face was pale, he was walking unsteadily, and Bumblebee could see that he was shaking. Sam stopped within a few feet of him, staring at the young Autobot hard, as if he was trying to make sure of something. A few minutes went by before Sam finally resumed walking towards him, faster than his initial approach. Bumblebee quickly unlocked his doors just in time for Sam to open the driver's side door and sit in the seat, closing the door after himself. The young Autobot shifted his attention inward, his worry for Sam eliminating any traces of exhaustion that resulted from being brought out of recharge too soon.

Sam stared unseeingly at the steering wheel for a moment, then placed a hand on the center, covering the Autobot insignia that was emblazoned there. A strangled sob escaped the human, and Sam shifted his hands to grip both sides of the steering wheel, resting his forehead on it as more quiet sobs escaped him.

Bumblebee was immediately filled with concern, his worry for his best friend reaching an all-time high as Sam continued to cry. A sudden determination welled up within the young Autobot, dispelling any remaining reluctance he had in trying to help Sam against his friend's wishes, clearing his processor as he finally accepted what he needed to do.

This had gone on long enough.

With a soft chirp, he maneuvered the driver's side seatbelt to buckle Sam in safely, and then shifted into motion, moving out of the parking space he had been resting in an out of the parking lot, towards the road that lead to the new lookout.

He still didn't like the idea of getting Sam to talk about his nightmares when the thought of doing so clearly bothered him. But Sam needed his help. And it was his duty as Sam's guardian, friend, and brother, to give it to him without question.

Sam released his grip on the steering wheel when he noticed that Bumblebee was moving. He leaned back in the seat, trying valiantly to hold in any more sobs that tried to escape and failing miserably.

The drive passed by in relative silence, broken only by Sam's occasional sobs (which were growing fewer and farther between the longer they were on the road) and Bumblebee's concerned whirring. Finally, the new lookout came into view, and Bumblebee slowed to a stop next to the lone tree. With another soft chirp, he opened the driver's side door, waiting for Sam to get out before scanning the area just to make sure that no one was around besides the two of them. So far, no one had ever been around when they came here, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

Satisfied that there was no one around, the young Autobot initiated the Transformation sequence back into his robot mode. Stretching slightly, he looked down at Sam. His friend was standing off to one side, rubbing his eyes with one hand. He wasn't sobbing anymore, but he still looked horrible, and Bumblebee could see that he was still-however slightly-shaking.

Bumblebee vented a quiet sigh. He wasn't looking forward to this, but he knew it was the only way help Sam. Kneeling down so that he was more at Sam's level, the young Autobot placed a finger on his friend's shoulder with a worried chirp. Sam looked up at him with a faint, shaky smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"Hey, Bee. Sorry if I made you worry."

Bumblebee tilted his head to one side with another chirp. Ignoring the pain that resulted, he spoke. But not in song lyrics or movie quotes-this time, he knew, he needed to use his own voice.

"W-what h-happened? Y-you look v-very p-pale. A-are y-you a-alright?" Bumblebee's words were shaky, raspy and punctuated with static, but he managed to get them all out. He rubbed his throat armor with a wince. _Primus, that hurt._

The look on Sam's face shifted from troubled to one of worried alarm at Bumblebee's words and resulting actions. No-not worried alarm at his _words_, at the fact that he was actually _talking_ in his _own_voice instead of relying on his radio like he usually did.

"Bee, you know you're not supposed to talk! Ratchet said you have to rest your voice capacitor or it won't heal properly!"

The young Autobot let out a quiet raspy laugh, despite the humorlessness of the situation. "N-never s-stopped m-me b-before." His expression turned serious again. "S-Sam…I-I'm w-worried a-about you."

Sam looked away. "I'm alright, Bee. It's just…" He sighed, his resolve to keep quiet about his dreams finally dissolving in light of the newest, worst nightmare and the worry of his friend. "Actually, I'm not alright. You know my nightmares?" When Bumblebee chirped a sad affirmative, he continued. "They're getting worse. Much worse. I…I don't know how much longer I can stand it, Bee."

Although he was relieved that Sam was finally opening up about what was troubling him, Bumblebee didn't want to push his friend. The young Autobot thought for a moment, going over what Sam had decided to share before asking his next question.

"W-what a-are t-they a-about?"

Sam was quiet for a long moment. Just as Bumblebee was beginning to think that Sam had changed his mind and decided not to talk any more, the human looked up at his friend. "Alright, Bee, I'll tell you." He smiled faintly, though it was clear his heart wasn't really into it. "But only if you promise to give your voice a rest and use your radio if you want to ask something. Promise?"

Bumblebee nodded, relief flooding his circuits at Sam finally agreeing to talk. He showed his sincerity by utilizing a quote from an old episode of Star Trek for his response to Sam's request. _"Affirmative, Captain."_

Sam smiled shakily once again. "Thanks, buddy."

The human sat down on the grass, drawing his legs up and resting his folded arms on his knees, leaning against the tree for support. Bumblebee hesitated, but only briefly, before sitting down beside his friend. Something told the young Autobot that it was going to be a long night, but in his Spark, he knew that it would be worth it, especially if it meant he could see Sam happy again.

Once again, Sam was quiet for a long moment. Finally, he took a deep breath, and began his explanation. "The nightmares, they aren't about Egypt, Bee. They're not even about what happened to Optimus. Well, they started out about them, those first few times they happened, but…they quickly changed into something different."

Even if Bumblebee hadn't promised to not say anything, he wouldn't have. Now that Sam had started talking, the words kept tumbling out. He'd kept everything inside for so long, and now, he knew he couldn't do so any longer, even if he had wanted to. Bumblebee didn't want to interrupt because he knew if he did so Sam would not be able to get going again. Right now, the best thing he could do for Sam was to quietly listen.

Sam couldn't bring himself to look up at Bumblebee as he spoke. "It starts out fine. You and me, we're with the other Autobots. Nothing bad is happening, and we're all just hanging out, having a good time, you know? But then, everything just randomly changes. The Decepticons show up out of nowhere and it just becomes insane. Everyone is fighting, and you and I get separated. I can't find you, and it scares me."

Sam had finally stopped talking, but before Bumblebee, believing him to be done speaking, even had the chance to say anything, the human took a shaky breath and continued.

"So I run, trying to find you. The battle is going on all around me, but somehow I'm able to avoid everything." He looked up at Bumblebee before quickly refocusing on the ground. "But…but when I finally find you, Bee…you're…you're…" Sam couldn't continue, his words dissolving as another strangled sob escaped, and he buried his head in his arms, leaning forward and away from the tree as he did so.

And then Bumblebee understood. Even without Sam finishing his sentence, the young Autobot knew what the human had no doubt seen in his nightmare. And now, he finally understood just why Sam had been so adamant about not telling him about the nightmares. With a soft, comforting warble, he cupped a hand slightly over his friend.

This served to calm Sam down somewhat. He raised his head and looked up at Bumblebee, and the young Autobot could see the despair in his friend's eyes.

"After what happened to Optimus, I just couldn't get it out of my head that the same thing could happen to you, Bee." He just barely managed to hold back another sob. "I don't want to lose you, Bee."

"_I'm staying right here,"_ Bumblebee offered, breaking his silence at last with an easily-found quote.

His borrowed words did little to comfort Sam. He shook his head desperately. "Bee, I saw _exactly_ what happened to Optimus. And he's a Prime, and I know exactly what that title means now. If he could go down like that, the same thing could happen to _you_!"

The young Autobot couldn't find anything to say to that, with borrowed words or his own. Sam's fears were well-founded, and he had a point. Bumblebee was a soldier, and had been fighting ever since he had been old enough to learn how to fire a plasma cannon the correct way. But even with that experience, he was still the youngest among the Autobot ranks and one of the smallest as well. He could handle once Decepticon on his own well enough, but more than one, and larger ones at that…if he fought them on his own, his chances of survival weren't very high. And as for Megatron? Well, he only truly faced him down on his own once, and the only reason he had survived was because Megatron had more important matters to deal with than the killing of one Autobot. And even then, he hadn't escaped that confrontation unscathed.

But his own weaknesses weren't what needed to be addressed that moment.

"_Do you remember-when-I lost-my friend?"_ Bumblebee asked, referring to that long-ago conversation in the garage. When Sam nodded hesitantly, the young Autobot continued. _"It made me realize-I could-lose you-in the same way. Even with-all my training. So-I know-how you feel."_

"But you're stronger than I am, Bee," Sam protested. "You can protect me far better than I could ever protect you."

"_I couldn't protect you-in Egypt,"_ Bumblebee pointed out, lowering his gaze.

"I don't blame you for that, Bee," Sam said firmly. "And I don't want you to _ever_ blame yourself for that either, got it?"

Bumblebee warbled a reluctant affirmative before utilizing his radio once again. "_We're at war-Sam. I can't promise-that we'll all-make it out okay, let alone-if I will. But you've proven that-you can help us. You're just as much-of a fighter as any-Autobot. And-we're a team. We'll protect each other-as best we can-okay?_"

Sam hesitated. Bumblebee could see the despair fading from his friend's eyes, but he could also tell that Sam still wasn't completely at ease. "But, Bee, what if…"

The younger Autobot chirped softly. _"Sam. You saved-Optimus-and protected the-Matrix of Leadership. Trust me. You can-protect me-just as well. I know you can."_

Sam was quiet for a long moment, going over what the young Autobot had shared. Then all the tension left him and his shoulders slumped in relief. He looked back up at Bumblebee with a small smile, and the scout was relieved to see that the despair and fear was gone from his friend's eyes. The worry was still there, he knew, just as the worry he had concerning Sam was. That worry never fully went away. But it could be eased.

"You're right, Bee," Sam agreed. "No point in worrying about it, right? Just do our best, right? And…even if…if something happens…we'll still watch out for each other…just…in a different way."

The Autobot nodded, shifting his hand so that one finger was resting lightly on Sam's shoulder. Sam had told him what he had seen when he had temporarily died in Egypt. And, even though the thought of losing Sam again was too painful to truly dwell on, just knowing for certain that there was something beyond was enough to soften the fear somewhat. It might not be the same as actually, physically, being there for each other, but it was good enough if the worst should happen to either of them. Bumblebee and Sam both knew that. But they would try their hardest to stay in the world of the living. Together, like brothers should be.

"Can we stay here for the night?" Sam asked hesitantly. "It's just…it's peaceful out here. And…after talking, I feel better. I think I might be able to get some sleep now. Is that okay?"

Bumblebee nodded, standing up. He offered his hand, and Sam climbed onto his palm. The two of them looked at the sky in silence for a moment. It was a comfortable silence, not at all like the silences that had occurred earlier in the time since they had arrived at the new lookout.

A sudden movement caught Bumblebee's optics.

Clicking excitedly, he pointed. Sam turned his attention toward the area of the sky his friend was pointing at. A flash of blue light was streaking through the sky, leaving a bright trail behind it as it worked its way towards the horizon, where it vanished.

"Wow," Sam said, his voice quiet. Grinning, he looked at Bumblebee. "Reminds me of the day we met face-to-face for the first time, and saw the others arrive here, except with less fire."

Bumblebee made a sound that was the electronic equivalent of a laugh, welcoming the humor in the place of the relatively somber atmosphere that had been present most of that night. From the way the grin on Sam's face was finally reaching his eyes again, the young Autobot knew the human felt the same way.

Sam was quiet for a minute, then spoke up again. "Hey, Bee?"

_"Huh?"_Bee asked, in more of an electronic warble than his actual voice.

"Thanks for bringing me out here, to talk. It...it means a lot to me, and I'm sorry for making you worry. I promise I'll never keep things like this to myself anymore, and that I'll talk to you if something like this happens again. Thanks for making me feel better."

Bumblebee turned his head and looked at his human friend. This time, his reply was in his own voice.

"Y-you're w-welcome, S-Sam."


End file.
